Obiwan and the Path of the Jedi
by DarthUmbreon
Summary: Nonslash. Obi-wan and Qui-Gon face many trials together. Can they learn to overcome their misconceptions and survive at the same time? It doesn't help that Xanatos is out for the kill. Double update this week and edited chapter 1
1. In the beginning

**General Disclaimers apply: I don't own Jedi Apprentice and I'm not making money off of this. There is no slash. A bit of adventure, a bit of hurt/comfort, growing up lessons, misconceptions, and general Obi-wan abuse. There is no romance. Also! This fanfic is complete! No need to worry about me not finishing the story, or waiting months between updates. There are sixteen chapters in total, and it is just under 30,000 words. **

**There are three interlude chapters that fit into the story, but aren't part of the main story. There are two arcs, which again could be separated into two different fanfics, but I kept them together. I did this because I hate having to find all of the parts of a story in a fandom. I like them all in one easy place to find. I plan to upload a chapter once a week for the over the next sixteen weeks. You can expect the update on the Thursdays or Fridays. **

**I am doing it like that because I like getting reviews. I figure that if I give each chapter a week, I can get in two to three reviews per chapter. Now, if I get say, 10 different reviews from 10 different people before the week is up, I will update the chapter the day following the 10th review. Remember to keep your arms and leg in the cart at all times and enjoy the ride!**

Obi-wan listened intently to the shouting voices, concern filling his body. Their angry voices echoed throughout the hallways giving anyone who cared to listen a good idea of what was going on. Now, Obi-wan knew he was too young to properly understand what they were arguing about, but he was old enough to know it was about him. What he didn't understand was why he needed to be concerned about Jedi or the Force. He had never heard of Jedi before. Sometimes people said, "May the Force be with you," but he never understand what that meant. He couldn't hear everything that was said, but he could feel the fear, anger, and sorrow.

For his entire three years, Obi-wan had lived with his mother and father on the remote planet of Naaden. For as long as he could remember he could feel and sense things other people could not. Rarely he saw things before they happened. His mother said this made him very special, but she always said this in a sad way. She told him it meant one day he would do great things and see faraway places. He didn't understand this either, but it worried him. For whatever this meant, it meant sorrow for his mother. His father refused to talk to him about it. Most of the anger came from his father. He didn't know why though. There was so much he didn't understand.

He felt the danger before he could see it. He was crouched behind a pillar in the hallway, next thing he knew he was yanked up roughly by the collar. His uncle, Gor-wan Hidlobi glared at him. Obi-wan could feel the anger pulsating out of his Uncle, lashing against him like whips. He cringed a little bit, wondering what he done to annoy his uncle this time.

"Obi-wan you little snot," he snarled shaking Obi-wan roughly. "You're supposed to be in the kitchen eating lunch. Your Grandpa had to interrupt my important work to fetch you." With each word he shook Obi-wan. Obi-wan was used to this treatment. His uncle was a mean, cruel man and he went out of his way to terrorize people. He especially liked to pick on Obi-wan though. "I've got things to do runt or I'd teach you a proper lesson. There are," and Obi-wan could hear the scorn in his uncles voice "important people I've got to talk to. I'll show 'em that they aren't wanted here. I won't stop because of some interference from the Senate. Now scram brat!"

"S-s-sowwy Uwncle." Obi-wan stuttered. He had completely forgotten lunch. Curiosity was a gift, or curse some people told him, that he had. And he really wanted to know who these important people were. His parents had been arguing about these Jedi! _I wonder if these Jedi are the important people..._he thought. Gor-wan scuffed Obi-wan on the ear was a lesson, then set him down on the ground. Without looking at his uncle, Obi-wan went as fast as he could to the lunchroom.

Though only three years old, Obi-wan was a very well behaved kid. As curious as he was, he stayed out of trouble. He didn't tell anyone but his mother that he could sense trouble before it happened, and thus knew how to avoid it. Once he got to the lunchroom, one of the servants saw to it that he got a good meal. "Thank wou Nana," he whispered. Nana always saw to it that he got what he needed.

As he ate, he listened to Nana talk to the kitchen servant about his Uncle. He didn't fully grasp what they were talking about, but it involved corruption, greed, and theft. The way they said this worried him. They sounded normal, but he sense the anxiety under their words. Something Nana said caught his full attention. "Did you know Korlina, that the Senate sent a Jedi here! He and his apprentice arrived an hour ago. They're going to do something Gor-wan. I don't know what they can do - Gor-wan won't listen to anyone and..." While they were talking Obi-wan wolfed down the rest of his meal as fast as he could. He could see with his own eyes what a Jedi is! Excitement filled him. Finally he could see what was so important to his parents. He realized that the important people his uncle had to talk to were the Jedi! Which meant they would be in the Great Hall.

Everyone did important things in the Great Hall. Although he wasn't allowed in the Great Hall without a parent, he knew that he could see and hear everything if he hid in the upper balcony. With a pause, Obi-wan thought about what needed to be done to find out about the Jedi. He needed a "pwan" as his father would say. Naptime was soon, and he knew that he if went to naptime as told, he would sleep through the meeting. That left sneaking onto the balcony without getting caught. _Stick to the shadows. Go down the left wing. Don't get caught. _Aha! He had a pwan! He knew that his parents would be meetings for most of the day. It was the middle of the week, which meant day long meetings with important people. He was glad for this, otherwise his mother or father would come looking for him, and prevent him from finding out what a Jedi is.

Carefully, he stuck to the shadows. It was hard though, he was slow and stumbled easily. Wistfully, he wished for adulthood when he would walk faster, smoother, and longer. Again a sense of danger filled him. Someone dangerous was coming, and he couldn't afford to be caught. Obi-wan crawled behind a vase and waited. Swift steps rushed past his hiding place. It was cousin, Gori. Gori was just as mean as his father, Gori-wan. Gori was considerably older than Obi-wan, and was always acting like an adult. Obi-wan tried very, very, very hard to avoid Gori just as much as he avoided his uncle. What felt like forever, the sense of danger passed. Crawling out from behind the vase, he went back to the mission at hand - getting to the balcony.

Finally he made it to the balcony! After dodging several dangers, the exhausting climb up the staircase, and sneaking into position he was ready. A swift glance over the edge of the balcony showed an interesting sight. His uncle was pacing back and forth across the dais in the Great Hall. Fear, anger, and anxiety radiated off him in waves. Obi-wan started to worry about these Jedi. Nothing good happened from his uncle when he acted like this. A feeling of calm filled him. Something...amazing was happening. He couldn't understand it exactly, but he felt a presence of calm, understanding and peace coming. It was then that a young man and a young boy, about Gori's age strode confidently into the Great Hall. They were dressed humbly, in simple cream tunics with brown robes. Nothing like the fancy clothing his uncle preferred.

_Are they the Jedi? The older one reminds me of papa. I hope they're careful..._He listened to their introductions. The adult was Qui-Gon Jinn, and his apprentice Xanatos. Sometime about the apprentice reminded him vaguely of Gori. Then they were talking about politics, peace, and understanding. He didn't quite understood everything they were talking about. Gor-wan started to sound more and more agitated. Obi-wan tensed. His uncle was about to attack the Jedi! Experience told him that the way his jaw ground together, how his shoulders tensed, and the feel of his emotions meant a sudden beating. _Danger Jedi! Danger! _Never before had he tried so hard to tell anyone his emotions. It was possible to tell people how he felt without words, but most people didn't catch on. Qui-Gon, however, did.

Faster than anything he had seen before, the Jedi whipped out the most amazing weapons. Swords of blue and green blazed brightly somehow deflecting the blaster blots. Robotic guards swarmed the Jedi. They went down like melted toy soldiers. Never before had Obi-wan seen anything so awe inspiring. The feeling of awe left him stunned. Before long the robotic guards were dead and his uncle facing the Jedi red faced. Then something even more stunning happened. Qui-Gon abruptly stopped using one hand to halt the attack of Xanatos. Obi-wan winced at the facial expression on Xanatos. _He looks like Gori cheated of something. Why? They won..._Crisp, clear words echoed through the hall.

"You've lost Hidlobi. Surrender now, and we won't hurt you. This can still be done peacefully." Qui-Gon looked composed and serene.

_Wow..._Obi-wan was stunned. Despite being attacked and screamed at, the Jedi was offering mercy! Mercy to the meanest, nastiest person he knew. _I wish I was like that. I want to be like Qui-Gon the Jedi! _Before he could continue this thought, Gor-wan snarled. Swiftly he reached to his belt, pulled out his vibroblade and rushed Qui-Gon. Obi-wan's eyes widened in fear. _No! Watch out Jedi! _Quicker then lightening the Jedi's weapon flashed to life and slashed Gor-wan in half. Blood gushed everywhere. Obi-wan saw a shadow of sorrow cross the Jedi's eyes. Xanatos, however, looked...pleased? A shudder rippled through Obi-wan. He decided he never wanted to cross Xanato's path. Ever.

"I am pleased padawan. You saw the danger and warned me through the Force. Your sense of the Force is expanding. Now let's go talk to the next person in charge. We still have a lot of work to do." One hand clapped Xanatos on the back, and the two Jedi walked out together. Obi-wan knew though, it wasn't Xanatos that had warned the Jedi, it was him. A feeling of conviction filled him. He would be a Jedi like Qui-Gon. He would! Obi-wan felt no sorrow for the passing of his uncle, just relief. No more beatings, lectures, or danger ever again. Silently he thanked Qui-Gon, and headed back to his room. There is still time for a nap, and he was very tired.

One month, three weeks, and five days later a friendly Jedi Knight by the name of Tahl came to fetch Obi-wan. He hugged his mother tightly, taking in the scent of her perfume, the feel of her dress, and her warmth. Then he turned and left, proud to go the Jedi Temple.


	2. Encounters and Lessons

Disclaimer: Same as before! I do not own these characters.

Chapter Two: Encounters and Lessons.

Two years later...

Temple life was very different from life on Naaden. He had stopped considering Naaden as "home" but he still considered the memories of his mother and father with fondness. There were all kinds of lessons, with all kinds of Jedi Knights or Jedi Masters. He loved it. No one chastised him for asking questions, no teacher told him was stupid, and everything was so interesting!

Some of the other students had already started to befriend him, such as Bant and Garen. It wasn't paradise, however, as there were some mean classmates. Bruck Chun particularly was a problem. Siri wasn't mean exactly, but she wasn't nice either. That, and she was tough in physical education class!

Sometimes he got really lucky, and got to hear about stories about the Jedi Knight, Qui-Gon Jinn. The few times Qui-Gon was at the temple, his padawan Xanatos would tell the most amazing stories about their missions together. Obi-wan would listen with rapture, glad to hear any news about Qui-Gon.

Most of the stories were filled with boasts of Xanato's feats in battle, but he didn't care as long as Qui-Gon was mentioned. Life wasn't perfect, but it was very, very good. Obi-wan heard the chime that signaled the next class about to start. _Oh no! I'm going to be late! When I will learn to live in the present?_

Obi-wan was going to be late to class. He was running as fast as his short legs would carry him. Suddenly he tripped over his untied shoelaces and tumbled onto the floor. His face flushed with embarrassment. Another boy the temple, Bruck Chun had started to call him clumsy. Bruck assured him, as the smarter student who knew much more than he did, that clumsy students didn't get picked as padawans. Obi-wan was doomed to be a failure. That wasn't the case, however. Tears of frustration leaked from his eyes. He was always tripping because he hadn't mastered tying his shoelaces. _I'm gonna be so late! Master Yoda won't be happy. Bruck Chun can't be right about me. He can't! _A familiar sense of calm surrounded him.

Gentle, but calloused hands picked him up. Obi-wan looked up into the serene, caring face of Qui-Gon Jinn. Suddenly shy, Obi-wan looked down at his untied shoes. Out of all of the Jedi Knights in the temple, Qui-Gon was his favorite. Although he had never talked directly to Qui-Gon, he loved hearing the stories Xanatos told others about their missions together. Xanatos still worried Obi-wan, but it was dim feeling now. Qui-Gon's voice brought Obi-wan back to the present moment.

"Are you alright, little one?" Obi-wan nodded quickly. He wasn't physically hurt. "It must be an important lesson for you to move so swiftly."

"Math class with Master Yoda." Obi-wan said solemnly. "I'm late," before Qui-Gon could continue he rushed with the explanation "I'm not clumsy!"

"You would be quicker if your shoes were tied." Qui-Gon seemed to notice Obi-wan's flush of shame. "Ah, you don't know how to tie them yet, do you?" Obi-wan didn't feel so bad at the faint smile of understanding Qui-Gon gave him. "Here, let teach you how." Obi-wan beamed. A lesson from Qui-Gon! And so Obi-wan watched Qui-Gon's hands slowly but surely show him the knot that alluded him for long so. Then Qui-Gon untied his shoe laces and said, "Now you try." Carefully Obi-wan tried to tie his own shoelaces. And for the first time, he got it right!

"Thank you Master Jinn!" He got up eager to go class. Afterwards he could tell his friends Bant and Garen about this important lesson. Before he started to go, Qui-Gon grabbed hold of his shoulders and pushed towards a different path. "If you go the through the Water Gardens, following the path of green stepping stones, you won't be late. It is a shortcut." Obi-wan gave Qui-Gon his biggest, happiest smile. He could feel the pleasure in Qui-Gon as well. Somehow, when he was near Qui-Gon he could feel what the Jedi Knight was feeling. Not that he told anyone that of course. "Now go! You don't want to be any later." Obi-wan raced down the hall, into the Water Gardens, and towards his math class.

Later that evening Obi-wan told his eager audience of Bant and Garen about his lesson with Qui-Gon. His friends seemed very impressed with tale. Bant clapped her hands with glee, and Garen whooped at Obi-wan tied his shoe laces in front of them.

"You're so lucky Obi-wan! Maybe he'll pick you as his padawan," Bant explained eagerly. Garen nodded his head in agreement. Uncertain, Obi-wan shook his head.

"I don't know...Xanatos is impressive. How can he want someone like me after having Xanatos?" Obi-wan felt a little blue at this. He would really like to be Qui-Gon's apprentice, but he knew it was unlikely. Xanatos and Qui-Gon had at least two more years together, and by then Obi-wan wouldn't be ready for him by then. And by the time he would be old enough, Qui-Gon would surely have another apprentice. "The Force will get me the Master I need," he declared.

Bant shook her head slowly. "No, I think Qui-Gon is the one for you. Somehow it will work you for the two of you. That, and Xanatos scares me! I watched him fight Jijn today in the Exhibition Trials and..." Obi-wan nodded his head as the conversation turned from him and Qui-Gon to Xanatos. Something about the older Apprentice worried him. _Live in the present Obi-wan. _He thought. _What happens tomorrow happens. _

One year later...

Obi-wan was seven now, and had just had his first lesson with a light saber. Happiness, a tad bit of pride, and joy filled his young frame. The light saber felt right in his hand. It was a weapon of elegance and grace. It helped him fill like a Jedi, not just a mere student. As he headed towards the lunch hall with his friends a looming presence walked up beside him. Mace Windu looked down at him with an unreadable expression. Obi-wan felt a shiver of dread go down his spine. Mace Windu only gave bad news to the younger students. Mentioning with his right hand to his friends that he would catch up, he turned and faced the older Jedi. "Yes, Master Windu?"

"Obi-wan, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you..." Mace coughed a bit before continuing. "Your father passed away earlier this morning. I'm sorry for..." before Mace could finish his sentence Obi-wan felt a pressing wave of chaotic emotions. Sorrow, fear, and a slim undercurrent of rage rolled over him. The feelings were powerful and swept him away. He found himself running down corridors, past gardens, and finally found himself in an unused meditation room. Obi-wan found a small stone bench in the corner of the room and curled up into a small ball under it. The room was chilly. A knot of unhappiness lay in his belly. Tears leaked out of his eyes and he sniffled. Something was wrong, very wrong. He cried until he fell asleep.

Hours later urgent voices woke him up. He recognized the voices, it was Master Yoda and Qui-Gon. He tried to catch what they were saying, but couldn't make out everything. It seemed that Xanatos had something very, very wrong. He didn't understand what Xanatos had done though. Slowly he realized that the feelings of sorrow, fear, and a slender edge of rage were coming from Qui-Gon! Memories bubbled up the surface, he knew that his father was sick and dying.

It shouldn't be a surprise that he was dead. Yes, he was sad, lonely, and lost that his father was gone. In fact, it seemed that Qui-Gon felt similar emotions about Xanatos being gone. _Did Xanatos die? What bad thing did he do? _He wondered.

Before he could wonder about Xanatos much more, Qui-Gon stormed into the meditation room and sat down on a floor mat. He looked like he was getting ready to meditate when he spotted the tearful Obi-wan. An expression Obi-wan couldn't read flashed briefly across his face. "It looks like I found the missing student." Obi-wan shrunk back a bit; he didn't want Qui-Gon to see him crying. Qui-Gon seemed to take it the wrong way. "No, no, little one. I won't hurt you. You're Obi-wan right?" Obi-wan nodded slightly. _Qui-Gon knows my name? _

Their eyes meet. Obi-wan saw such sorrow and grief in the eyes, and in his heart he knew Qui-Gon saw the same in his. Obi-wan was struck by a sudden emotion - relief. _He understands. I'm not alone. _Without an exclamation, Qui-Gon took Obi-wan into his arms and just held him. Obi-wan was reminded of his father and he clutched Qui-Gon's shirt tightly and cried some more. _Everything will be alright. _He could sense the turmoil in the man holding him, and he sent feelings of gratitude and adoration towards the often distant Jedi. Without realizing it, he started to get very sleepy in Qui-Gon's arms blissfully unaware of the outside world.

Qui-Gon carefully maneuvered through the temple heading towards the dormitory for the youngest students. He had commed Mace Windu, the other Jedi in charge of the youngsters, letting them know he had found the boy. All of the adults had been alerted to the lost boy. Everyone was on the lookout for him. At first, he had been annoyed that in his grief he had to look for a lost child. But once he saw the boy, his anger evaporated. So he took it upon himself to return the boy to his rightful place.

The youngster, Obi-wan, was very small for his age, and very light. He had been amazed at the depth of sorrow in the child's eyes. They had mirrored his own. In place he expected no one to understand, the littlest of one's did. It was outstanding. He almost felt a bond, a kinship with the little student. There was something very familiar about the boy as well. Where had seen the boy before? Qui-Gon shrugged off this feeling. The boy seemed to be struggling for answers, and without realizing what he was doing, the words came out of his mouth.

"I know you lost your father little one. Losing loved ones," Qui-Gon paused the pain of Xanatos stabbing him in the heart as he realized what he was saying "is hard. But remember, you aren't alone. The other students are like your brothers and sisters, and the Jedi Knights and masters like fathers, mothers, aunts and uncles. Although the path of the Jedi is a lonely one, doesn't mean you are always alone. And remember, as hard as it is to go on, the hardest path is often the path most needed to take. Doing the right thing is usually the hard to do." As Qui-Gon said, he realized it was true. He may have lost a padawan he loved like a son, but that doesn't mean he was without support. The words seemed to be what the young one needed to hear.

He was in a temple filled with young students, it shouldn't surprise him that he recognized the boy. Another weird thing, when had been holding the boy, he could have sworn that the boy was sending him reassurance! But that was impossible. Such a thing was only possible between a well bonded Master and padawan. So he shrugged off the feeling that the boy had been in tune with him. "One day," he whispered. "You will be a padawan, and have that bond with a good Jedi Knight. Rest well little Obi-wan." But he knew such a thing would never happen again with him. Never again would he take a padawan after Xanatos. Never again. Without realizing it, Obi-wan had drifted to sleep contently tucked into Qui-Gon's arms.

Next thing Obi-wan knew, he was waking up in his own bed. The memories of the day before came to him. _I'm not alone. But Qui-Gon is hurting. But he said that the older Jedi are like family...that means Qui-Gon is like a father! Maybe one day I'll be able to ease his pain. One day, he'll be proud of me. One day, I'll be his padawan. _Qui-Gon's words hit home, and Obi-wan would always remember that doing the hardest thing is often the right path to take. Being a good Jedi would be very hard. But then again, going down the path of the Jedi is what he wanted more than anything else.

The next part of the story comes after Jedi Apprentice books 1, 2, 3, and 4.


	3. Family Troubles

Chapter four: Echoes of the Past

After several missions that involved diplomacy, Qui-Gon started quizzing Obi-wan about the various places they would go to. He pointed out to his padawan that knowing the enemy, or the terrain would often give the advantage that meant the difference between life and death. Death was a very real possibility. Xanatos had been stalking them. His master wasn't say as such, but Obi-wan could sense the stress in his master. Not mention he too, recognized the sinister taint of Xanatos. However, the task at hand much more stressful. He was going back to Naaden. Back to his family. It wasn't seeing his family that worried him, it was what his master would think.

Obi-wan knew that he was constantly being measured against Qui-Gon's memories of Xanatos. He threw in extra hours of light saber practice so he could be as good as Xanatos. Extra study hours as well. Acing his homework, quizzes, and exams were paramount. No matter how hard he tried though, Qui-Gon never acknowledged his hard work. _Is it because I'm still not as good as Xanatos? _However, he more pressing demands.

As he researched Naaden, and it wasn't hard since he knew most of the information, he worried about his master's reaction to seeing Obi-wan's family. Obi-wan never told Qui-Gon that he watched his master kill his uncle. He was embarrassed that such a thing was what set down the path of becoming a Jedi. _What if Qui-Gon thinks I'll be like Xanatos? After all, watching Qui-Gon kill his father is what drove Xanatos over the edge. I don't feel like that all, but how will I be able to convince Qui-Gon of that? _

A low, despairing moan escaped him. He needed to tell Qui-Gon what he had witnessed, but he was wary of the reaction. What if his master decided that Obi-wan would go down the path to the Dark Side, and refuse to have him as his padawan? How could he prove his worth to his master? Plus, there was another worrisome matter. What would his mother think?

Although the Jedi Temple didn't encourage contact with family, Obi-wan wrote a lengthy letter to his mother every month about his progress at the temple. He told her all the things he couldn't tell his friends, and now that he was a padawan, the things he couldn't tell his master. Somewhere, deep down inside of him, he had hoped that his mother would never met Qui-Gon. He viewed Qui-Gon as a father, and he didn't know how his mother would react to that.

Before he could continue thinking such thoughts, he felt his master enter his rooms. The bond between the two of them was very strong, and he was constantly reinforcing his shields to keep his master from finding out his dilemma about going back to Naaden. Not the wisest thing to do...but what other choice did he have? Qui-Gon spoke softly interrupting his thoughts.

"Do you have something you need to tell me, padawan?" Qui-Gon spoke softly. Carefully he watched Obi-wan's reaction both from what he could see, and what he could feel through the bond. Obi-wan was hiding something from him. For the life of him though, he couldn't figure out what. What was distracting his padawan so badly? His reaction times were slower during practice, his sewing skills were slipping, and twice already he had burned dinner! No matter how often, or gently he asked, Obi-wan refused to tell him the problems. Qui-Gon knew he could order his padawan to answer, but he got the impression that wouldn't work out as planned. Briefly he could feel the despair through the bond, and the whiteness in Obi-wan's face, but the boy seemed to shove these emotions aside and composed himself.

"No, master. I finished my report on Naaden, though. The planet is in the Outer rim territories. It is a small rocky planet with a population of just under one billion people. It is evenly split between ocean and land mass. Most of the landmass is tropical forests. It's largest city is the capital, but it has four decent sized cities surrounding the capital. The primary export is exotic plants grown only those rainforests. The planet is mineral poor, and relies heavily on trade for minerals, metals, and food. The Capital is Nadin, and has a population of ten million people. The planet is ruled by a council, headed by a King or Queen. And..." so Obi-wan rattled off facts for another three minutes, giving a complete summary. What he didn't mention, however, is that his mother was on the council.

He also didn't mention that it was his mother that spotted the trouble with trade exports, and had requested Jedi intervention herself, and had specifically asked for Qui-Gon. He knew he should tell his master, but the worry of turning out like Xanatos held him back. He also did not mention that it was his cousin, Gori, that was in charge of the trade imports himself. No good could come from this. At Qui-Gon's thoughtful nod, Obi-wan wrapped up his report. He was glad his master hadn't pushed the issue.

"Well done padawan. We'll be leaving for Naaden in under an hour. Be packed and ready to go by then," Qui-Gon ordered. "We're taking a special shuttle that will get us there in under three days. This mission has been deemed high priority." With that, Qui-Gon turned around slowly and headed towards his rooms to pack. Something about the mission was troubling Obi-wan, but he didn't know what. He would find out though. The boy needed to deal with this issue and find peace with the Force. It was his job to help his padawan find peace with himself. If only Obi-wan would let him! If he didn't already have grey hair, he would swear the boy was giving him some.

Obi-wan spent most of the flight out to Naaden in meditation. It was the only way he could avoid Qui-Gon the small ship. The pilot was polite, but stoic. The food came prepared and tasted like ashes in his mouth. Qui-Gon brought up what was bothering Obi-wan twice, and his prompt responses was, "let me meditate about it, master." Obi-wan was immensely relieved that Qui-Gon accepted this response. However, he did get the distinct impression that his master was extremely displeased through the bond they shared. If Qui-Gon knew Obi-wan's true worry, he knew that the displeasure would be much, much greater.

The landing on Naaden was smooth. Obi-wan surveyed the city of Nadin. There were different shops, but the lookout was the same. _It looks like nothing has changed. _A second glance, however, changed that opinion. Everywhere he looked, people looked wary, and little worn out. Streets, buildings, and vehicles looked worn down or in bad repair. _Something is wrong here...very, very wrong. It wasn't like this last time I was here._ Before they were more than one hundred feet from the shuttle an envoy came up to meet them.

Obi-wan felt joy, followed by immediate dread. The person coming to greet them was his mother. He had half formed thoughts of warning his master before she got to them, but his mother was quick to arrive. Obi-wan stood slightly to the left and behind his master nervously awaiting his mother. What would his mother say? He quickly found out as his mother glanced disdainfully at Qui-Gon before turning her critical eye to him. His mother spoke to him briskly in his native tongue. _This isn't going to be pretty..._

;Obi-wan! It is good to see you. Has this man been feeding you properly? You look so skinny! And what are you wearing? Shouldn't you be dresser nicer?; His mother looked over him with a loving, yet critical look.

;Mother! I'm okay, honest. He's been feeding me well. I only look skinny because I'm growing, promise. I'm glad to see you and -; Before he could finish she strode right up to him, brushing past Qui-Gon.

"Excuse me, honored Jedi. Obi-wan! Stop looking so embarrassed and give me a greeting hug!" Obi-wan gave a tentative look at his master's face. It was completely unexpressive. _Uh-oh. I'm in trouble._ But he obediently stepped forward and hugged his mother. She clutched him close and he rested his head against her. Memories of her flooded him, bringing back warm thoughts of early childhood. _When had she gotten so short? _He wondered fleetingly. After a couple long secants he heard Qui-Gon cough briefly bringing his attention to the present. Startled he jumped away from his mother.

"Padawan, care to introduce me?" Obi-wan flushed scarlet with embarrassment. _He doesn't sound very happy. _Before he could respond, however, his mother looked Qui-Gon in the eye and beat him to the punch.

"Obi-wan didn't tell you," she said. Both adults gave the blushing boy a harsh look. "I am councilor Jani Kenobi, Obi-wan's mother. I requested you," she put a some emphasis on the word 'you', "to come here, because someone is stealing rare, extremely poisonous herbs. We must recover them before they can be used for great harm. I've tried relocating them, but..." Jani shrugged. "I'm glad you could make it on such short notice."

If it was possible for Obi-wan to become one with Force and disappear right now, he would have done it. The looks from Qui-Gon and his mother hurt. His mother looked angry, but for the briefest moments he thought he felt Qui-Gon being hurt at not being told. That, and he could sense a great deal of annoyance. _Why did I think not telling him was a good idea? At least he doesn't know about Gor-wan...and I'm going to be doing 'learning exercises' for weeks because of this! _

"Thank you Councilor Kenobi. It was a pleasure to meet you," Qui-Gon said politely. "May we please be shown to our rooms? I'd like to unpack then get right to work." _And have a little chat to my padawan about keeping important secrets. Why would he not tell me? There is something more to this, but what? _"Do you have any ideas, Councilor Kenobi?" As they walked towards the Palace, Jani walked on _Obi-wan will be very helpful. He knows the native tongue, and has a good memory. We should wrap this up in less than a week._

"I have no idea," she growled. "But I would to talk to Gori first. He is the one in charge of trade exports. The men answer to him, but no one is talking about it." Jani replied promptly. She was keeping a close eye on her son. Something was bothering him, and she had a hunch what it was. _Tsk, tsk, tsk. Obi-wan. Keeping secrets won't do you any good. _"Obi-wan, you shouldn't be surprised that Gori is following his father's footsetps."Neither adult could fully see Obi-wan, but both of them felt him flinch at Gori's name being mentioned. "Obi-wan...," his mother growled at the same time Qui-Gon spoke.

"Padawan," Qui-Gon said very softly. "What do you know?" Qui-Gon stopped walking and faced his apprentice. What he saw did not make him happy. Obi-wan was sweating nervously, was hunched down, and looked very, very nervous. His apprentice was keeping secrets, and that worried him. _Obi-wan has never kept secrets from me before. Why in the Force would he keep them now? Something is very wrong here, and I will get to the bottom of this. I will do this his sake, and mine. _He crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Obi-wan. Before he got an answer from his padawan, Jani spoke first.

"Oh, this is about Gor-wan isn't it." This came out as statement. Qui-Gon didn't turn to face Jani, he did see Obi-wan flinch. _Where have I heard that name before? _He kept quiet, hoping that Obi-wan, or Jani would tell him. Jani turned and faced Qui-Gon with an apologetic look on her face.

"Gor-wan was Gori's father, and Obi-wan's uncle. He was the previous Trade Master here. He was...," she paused thoughtfully before continuing "disposed of some time ago for corruption. Obi-wan watched it happen at a very young age. He is probably remembering that unpleasant experience. You should excuse his discomfort."

Qui-Gon went very, very still. Now he remembered Gor-wan. Almost a decade before he had summoned to this planet for a very similar purpose. There had been an altercation with one of the wealthy. The man had refused to stop and had attacked him and Xanatos with the intent to kill. He had been forced to kill him. He had killed someone Obi-wan loved? In front of the boy? _Oh no..._ He didn't have to see Obi-wan to know this was what had been bothering his padawan so badly. He could feel the horror coming from his padawan through the bond. _What have I done to the poor boy? _Before he could say anything suddenly a disturbance rippled through the Force warning him of danger.

"WATCH OUT!" Someone screamed in a panic. Obi-wan whirled around faced the open market. BANG! An air rifle had been fired and something was headed towards him from the right. Behind him was a marketplace stall, to his immediate left was a wall, and front of him was his master, and his mother. He had nowhere to dodge! If he whipped out his light saber, he would injure someone. _Oh no - _suddenly a familiar shape stepped in front of him, taking the blow. _NO! _Obi-wan watched in horror as something struck his master.

Qui-Gon's first reaction was to protect his apprentice. He faced the same problem as his padawan, and had no room to activate his light saber. Not knowing what the danger was, only that he had to protect Obi-wan he reacted without much thought. To his surprise the blow didn't hurt much. A small dart with a very long needle struck him in the side. The needle was long enough to pierce the fabric and hit. A faint sensation of prickling needles spread outwards from the dart. _Obi-wan..._He could hear voices screaming at him, but they seemed far away. Before he could think another thought about his padawan darkness claimed him.


	4. Choices and Decisions

**Disclaimer: Sorry for the lack of update last week! I went on vacation. Had a decent time in Colorado. I also want to thank the people who have reviewed so far! I love getting reviews, I really do. I treasure each one. Standard disclaimer, I don't own Star Wars or anything in Jedi Apprentice. Enjoy your read.**

"Master! _MASTER!_" Obi-wan screamed as Qui-Gon crumpled to the ground. His horror grew worse as saw what caused his master to faint. An assassin's dart had hit Qui-Gon. He didn't recognize all the markings on the dart only that it was deadly. _That was meant for me. This is my fault! If I had been quick enough this wouldn't have happened! _As he got ready to scream for a medic, his mother had knelt by Qui-Gon. "Obi-wan, use my comm to call for a medic. Use channel 3-1-1. I'll see what I can do for your master."

Obi-wan asked for a medic, and was told they were on their way. Shoving the comm into his pocket he crashed down on his knees next to his mother. She was checking Qui-Gon for a pulse. _He can't be dead! He can't! _Noticing the faint rise and fall of his master's chest reassured him that Qui-Gon was still alive.

"Obi-wan, the poison used in this attack was one of the herbs reported missing. Don't panic, there is an antidote but," Jani paused, considering her next words very carefully. "There is a chance he won't survive the treatment. The antidote is very hard on the system. If he has allergies to either the poison or the cure..." her voice trailed off at the expression on her son's face.

Without another word, she pulled him close to her. "Shhhh, shhh, it'll be okay Obi-wan. I promise. We'll provide the best possible care for him." She only let him go once the healers arrived on the scene. Obi-wan was mute as two men, a woman, and three droids carefully put the still form of Qui-Gon onto a stretcher and put him into an ambulance. He started to get on the ambulance but Jani held him back. "Don't go with them, they need room to work. I'll take you to your rooms, we'll unpack your stuff, then I'll take you to see him. The healers won't let you near him while they're the most delicate part of the treatment."

Tears threatened to spill as guilt tugged at him. _I wasn't thinking about my surroundings. If only I had been..._but his mother's words suddenly brought him to the present. _This is one of the poisons made by the missed herbs? This was a planned attack. The herbs have been reported missing for more than two weeks! It takes at least a week to make the treatment for the herbs into a portable poison. Someone was expecting us. Was expecting me. _Rage started to fill him. Taking several deep breathes he controlled his temper and attempted to release his anger into the Force like his master had taught him. Anger lead to the Dark Side, and going rogue was the last thing he wanted. He needed a plan.

Try as he might, no plans came to mind. He let his mother direct him through the streets and into the palace. There had been additions made to the palace and he was dimly aware of being glad for his mother's presence. He would have gotten lost in the new maze of corridors and rooms. At first he thought he would be placed in one of the newer rooms but he found himself ushered through the new areas and into familiar territory. Not sure if he should be glad or dismayed, he found that his temporary living quarters where his old rooms. It was actually a suite of rooms. There was a smaller chamber which served as his old rooms, and in the larger room next door had been his parents room. "Ah, you seem surprised. I moved out of those rooms when your father died. They were renovated with the hopes one day you and your master would visit us."

Although he said nothing, thoughts were swirling around him. It was hard, very hard to concentrate on anything other than the attack, and his master's critical condition. He wanted to nothing more than to be by his master's side. However, his mother insisted on giving the medics time to their work. _There is nothing I can do for my master now. _Half an hour later everything was safely put away in the two adjoining rooms and he was allowed to see his master. His master was still and very pale. He could breathe on his own, but there were several IV bags dangling around him, and strange machine that seemed to...recycling his blood?

"H-h-how is he?" Obi-wan asked meekly. The healer in charge of the Healing Wing was very intimidating. Her eyes were an icy blue, hard as ice. She wasn't human, but a tall willow thin blue woman. Long dreadlock green hair held back into a loose pony-tail hung down her back. He had to look up, very up to see her thin, narrow face. _At least she looks like she knows what she's doing. _Her eyes narrowed considering her answer. A brief moment of terror seized him. What if she was not telling him because his master was already dying? Before more horrified thoughts could surface she spoke.

"He's in critical condition. Luckily, he isn't allergic to the drug or the treatment. He'd be long dead by now if he was. We're drawing out his blood and cleaning it of residues of the herb. We'll know he'll live IF he wakes in four to five days. This herb is very nasty distilled. It attacks the nerves and spinal cord. Part of the treatment puts the patient into a coma so they don't fight the antidote. Sometimes the strain from the cure is so much they don't wake up at all. Thank the Force, he's a healthy. I put his chance of surviving this at 60%." She smiled softly for the first time at the shocked expression on Obi-wan's face.

"You, on the other hand, are very, very lucky he stepped in when he did. The amount of poison in that dart would have killed you instantly considering how small you are. Be glad he cares for you so much. You may sit with him if you'd like, just don't touch anything." Someone called her name, and looking back once, she walked away from the stunned padawan.

Tentatively Obi-wan pulled up a chair beside the bed. He wanted to say so many things, mostly I'm sorry. But the words didn't leave his mouth. Resting his face in his hands, Obi-wan searched his soul for an answer. _This shouldn't have happened. It was supposed to be a routine mission._ _I'm sorry Qui-Gon. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I'm sorry for being like Xanatos. I felt your disgust through the bond. Why did you save me? I don't deserve it. _

Over and over the scene from earlier today looped through his mind. Something kept on nagging him though. Why where they attacked? His mother was an important councilor. In fact, she was the one who summoned them. Why wasn't she the target? The attack had been directed at him, no one else. It had been timed very well. It as if they waited for a spot where they knew he couldn't dodge. How was that possible? No one should have known they were coming.

His mother came by later in the evening with his dinner. Barely noticing the food placed beside him, he went back to watching the small rise and fall of his master chest. It was the only sign he had that his master was still alive. Desperately he wished he could reach out and take hold of his master's hand. Several things held him back. A small of fear of rising the doctors ire, and another deeper worry that his master would know he was here. After all, hadn't his master already been horrified at him? His mother clucked her tongue at him, unnoticed behind him. She didn't leave until she insured he ate all of the food. Still his thoughts raced.

Finally, he reached a conclusion. This never should have happened, and it should never happen again. _I can't let this happen again. We came here for a reason. I'm not doing my master any good by sitting here thinking. He'll probably disown me once he wakes up, but I won't let him down this last time. I will find the person who did this, and make sure the remaining herbs are returned. I will complete the mission. That and I'll go mad if I continue to sit here doing nothing. _"I'm sorry master," he whispered. "But I'll make sure this never happens again." Without looking back, he left the room in search of answers.


	5. Searching for the Truth

**Disclaimer: Wow! Two chapters in a day! Mostly because I feel about missing last week's update, so I'm putting this chapter up today. **

**I wanted to thank all of non-American visitors in this disclaimer. Here is a shout out to all of my readers in Canada, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, Russia (in Soviet Russia Fanfic read you!), France, Spain, Uganda, Sweden, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and Argentia! Thank you for stopping by! **

**Also, thank you to ****Athar Riordan****, ****pilatyne (dear pilatyne, thank you for pointing out that little plot hole, I mean to fix it!), double thanks to Princess Moon Shadow, and ****Valairy Scot****. **

**Also, I do not own anything in Star Wars.**

It was hard, but Obi-wan forced himself to fall asleep that night. After tossing and turning for hours, he finally drifted off to a fitful sleep. He dreamt of many unpleasant things. The least of which being disowned by his master, the worst seeing his master's dead face staring at him accusingly. Not feeling rested, he rolled out of bed at day break. Once he had everything he needed to do the mission - his utility belt, comm, light saber, and various other things he headed out the door. As he headed towards the exit a once familiar presence drew up beside. It was Gori.

"Cousin," he drawled loudly "good to see you back! Come! We shall eat breakfast together." Obi-wan felt his cousin roughly slap him on the back. Gori hit him hard, and he struggled not to stagger. As much as he wanted to object, Gori was in fact the first person he wanted to talk to. Without being noticed, Obi-wan studied his cousin. He was dressed in rich fabrics trimmed with previous metals. Thick bracelets and necklaces of gold adorned him. _Where is he getting the credits for all that? _Obi-wan wondered. Surely a Trade Master didn't make on a small world didn't make that much?

"Obi-wan, Obi-wan, Obi-wan. It has been far too long since you're last visit! What do they do in that temple? Lock you away?" Laughing at a supposed joke, Gori settled down in a seat at the head of a large table. Plates and plates of rich, exotic food was served. Obi-wan looked a little overwhelmed. He almost never ate food like this. A pointed look from his cousin caused him shift uncomfortably to a seat near him. The food didn't seem at all appealing to him, but he made himself eat. He knew it was supposed to be rich and flavorful, but it tasted like ashes in his mouth.

"Gori," Obi-wan asked, "Do you have any ideas what happened to the missing herbs? You're the Trade Master, surely you have an idea..." He trailed off looking intently at Gori. Gori didn't seem comfortable with this question. _Maybe he's nervous about them disappearing on his watch or maybe he knows something. _After a few long seconds Gori answered.

"No I don't. I hired a bunch of new dock workers though. Smelly, nasty things from off planet. I only hired them 'cause they're cheap. I don't trust the lot of them though. Why don't you check with them?" Gori smiled faintly as if pleased with something. Gori didn't talk about much else after that. He focused on shoveling foods down his fat throat. "Well, I don't want to seem rude Obi-wan, but I've got work to do. See you at dinner." With a hard shove, Gori pushed away from the table and wandered off down a hallway.

It wasn't much of a lead, but it was something to investigate. After pushing in his chair, Obi-wan headed towards the docks. As he walked down the crowded streets familiar faces greeted him cheerfully. Scents from his childhood wafted past his noise. Sounds of his native tongue babbled around him. An underlying scent of the ocean lay under the scents of food, spices, and people. What stood out to him, however, was how poor the people looked. He may be wrong, but last time he was here the people looked better off. There were still poor people, but there was a welfare system in place so not everyone was bad off.

When got to the dock, he was in for a shock. The workers were indeed from off planet, but they were terrified of him! No matter who he spoke too, they gave the same answer. 'We do nothing wrong! Masters hurt us if they do. We know nothing.' Was the response. Some of them flinched when they saw him coming. This was very, very disturbing. No one should be that afraid of their masters. He ground his teeth together, forcing anger from his thoughts and emotions. On the back of an older worker, there were bleeding marks from a wound. It looked like the man had been whipped. _No wonder they're afraid. Someone is beating the spirit out of them. I don't think they stole anything. None of them has enough spirit to go against their masters. This is wrong! I'll have to do something about them before I go. Mother will help me, I'm sure. _As he started to head back to the palace a friendly voice hailed him.

;Hoh, young Obi-wan! Good to see you!; Obi-wan turned to face the voice. He was pleasantly surprised to see old BaJi. BaJi had often baby-sat him when he was very young. The man waved him over. ;You look starving youngling. I don't have much, but would you join this poor old man for lunch?; When his stomach growled, Obi-wan nodded sheepishly. He was hungry.

;I'm glad to see you too BaJi. How are you doing?; Automatically Obi-wan adjusted his pace to walk to BaJi. He seemed to be headed towards a small market place stall. A small worn out red and blue rug was spread out under a makeshift table. A wheelbarrow with a wooden board placed over it made the table proudly displaying various meat and fruit pies. An abandoned crate served as a chair. With a low groan BaJi settled on the crate. Picking up a large meat pie, he offered it to Obi-wan.

To his delighted surprise, the meat pie was the tastiest thing he had eaten here. It was simple fare, similar to the food he would get at the Temple. Carefully he lowered himself to the ground. At least the sidewalks were kept clean. Obi-wan kept quiet as the old man talked at loud to him.

;My yes, it is good to see you. Jedi appearing mean things will change. Change is good, very good. Every since that Light forsaken Gori took over as Trade Master things have gone to the Dark Side! He raised taxes and tariffs on trade goods. No one can afford them anymore! When I was young things were different. Taxes were kept at the minimum. People didn't have to fight their neighbors to survive. Those were days...; BaJi continued to talk about this for several minutes.

Obi-wan was in deep thought from what he heard in the beginning. Gori was behind the decay? That wasn't right. Making the basic necessities such as food, clothing, and housing goods expensive was wrong. _Gori this isn't right. If I weren't after the missing herbs, I would do something about you. Once those herbs are recovered, things will change. Surely Qui-Gon can speak to you - _But the thought of his master, and the situation his master was in hit him hard. He had been so busy talking to people earlier today he had managed to not think too much about his master. BaJi noticed the expression on his face and seemed to be mistaken.

;Good to see you agree with me Obi-wan. It is getting rather late. You won't get to the palace before dark! Come sleep at my place tonight. Getting home after dark is a dangerous business in this part of town. Be sure to let your mother know you're staying here.; With that BaJi started to pack the remaining food into his wheelbarrow. There wasn't much left. Just a couple fruit pies. ;Here is something for a growing boy.; He winked at Obi-wan and handed him one of the leftover fruit pies.

He wolfed down the fruit pie quickly. It was indeed getting dark sooner than he expected. Somehow he forgotten how much shorter a Naaden day was compared to a day in Coruscant. Quickly he comm'd his mother letting her know where he would be staying. She sounded annoyed, but eventually agreed that it was for the best. Seeming to read his thoughts, she told him that his master's condition had not changed. With a brief 'thank you' he ended the conversation.

Before the old man could start pushing the heavy wheelbarrow along, Obi-wan took over and pushed it for him. BaJi kept one hand hooked onto Obi-wan's arm for support. Obi-wan was silent, letting BaJi ramble on about the good old days. Every so often he would nod his head or 'hmmm' in agreement. About fifteen minutes later he found himself in a very run down residential part of town. Small crowded apartments were stacked together.

BaJi's apartment was the one at the end of the street. To his surprise, his apartment held three rooms. A kitchen that turned into a small living area. The living area had a table with three chairs, a well loved couch, and a fireplace. The kitchen was a stove, sink, with a machine for keeping food cold. At the kitchen area, a young woman - about his mother's age was cooking something over the stove.

;Grandpa! What do you think you're doing bringing home another stray -; before she finished her sentence she noticed who the 'stray' was. ;Oh! If it isn't little Obi-wan! I haven't seen you ages. Come in, come in. I'm Sarha! I used to a servant to your mother. Please, make yourself comfortable. I can't wait to hear about your life as a Jedi.; Once he tentatively sat down at the table, she brought him a mug of hot tea sweetened with a local berry juice.

At their eager expressions he slowly started to talk about his training as a Jedi. The more he talked the more he realized that he couldn't be anything else but a Jedi. Somehow, someway he would make it up to his master for the secrets, and his past. Surely he can prove to Qui-Gon that he wasn't Xanatos? Once he had done that, the Force would work things out. Eventually he got to this mission and the problem at hand. Sarha pressed her lips together in thought at his distant expression not releasing that Obi-wan was thinking about something entirely different.

;I would investigate the warehouse if I were you. There were a lot of activity there about two weeks ago. People were told to leave the area, and many strangers come and went. I don't know if there is any evidence left there, but I'm sure you can find something.; She smiled at the thoughtful look on Obi-wan's face. ;I can show you there tomorrow. But for now, you should get a good night's rest. You should fit on the couch. Let me get you some blankets.;

He wanted to protest, and go to the warehouse now, but he found himself yawning. Gently he found himself pushed towards the couch and covered with warm soft blankets. Sooner than he thought possible he found himself drifting to sleep. _Tomorrow _he vowed _I will find answers._


	6. Truths, Failures, and More

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I would also like to thank the people who have reviewed so far, and to thank the people who read the story more than once. Reviews are loved, but so are the people who come back. Enjoy!**

Despite waking up before dawn he found that BaJi had already left for his day's work in the marketplace. Sarha had cooked him a filling meal of meat stew with dumplings. She gave him instructions on how to get the warehouse unnoticed. After receiving a farewell hug he headed towards the warehouse. It took him most of the day to get there. The warehouse was at the furthest part of the dock, which was clear across the city. Afraid to hitch a ride and be remembered, Obi-wan chose to walk the distance alone. He would have been lost in thought except all around him felt a dangerous presence. Something was wrong, and he was headed towards the source.

With one hand near his light saber he came within reach of the warehouse. It was walled off by a high metal fence. Guards patrolled the parameter every twenty minutes. The windows to the warehouse were small with no light coming from them. _This isn't good. Why is there such defenses around the warehouse? The fence looks new. The guards aren't local either. I bet my answers are in that warehouse._ Obi-wan circled the warehouse looking for an entrance.

There was one place that might work, but he would need time to get in. He found himself hungry and getting frustrated. _I can't get in there tonight. The guards seem very cautious. I'll have to wait until tomorrow night. _He wanted to rush in there and get answers now but his masters teachings floated through his mind. 'Rushing into danger without a plan is a good way to get killed.' His master had sternly told him that after the incident on Phindar. _I'll make a plan tomorrow, but now I need to eat, get a good night's rest and make a plan. _

There were a few places to get food, but he couldn't find a place to rent a room for the night. He comm'd his mother telling her that he would spend another night in the city. He didn't tell her that he would be sleeping in the streets. After searching for an hour, he found a small nook in an alley. It wasn't the most pleasant smelling place to sleep, but it was dry and hidden from sight. Rolling up his cloak into a pillow, Obi-wan curled into a ball. Thoughts of his master drifted through his mind. The bond between them was shadowed. He didn't know if that was because his master was sedated, or if it was because he was dying. _I will not think those thoughts. I will believe I will see him soon. _Quicker then he thought possible, he fell into slumber.

The next day he woke up sore and cramped. _Sleeping on the hard street in a tight ball is not the most pleasant way to sleep. _Making sure no one was looking he did basic stretching exercises to warm his aching muscles. Once he was limber he headed towards the warehouse. Again he crept around the parameter. _Looks like I'm in luck, the guards don't seem as anxious today. Something feels very, very wrong. _After double checking, he found a possible entrance.

Against the far west corner of the warehouse from the dock, a stack of old plastic crates had been stacked against the fence. If the guards didn't change their routine of checking the parameter every twenty minutes, he should have enough time to get past the fence. Carefully he waited until the sun set later that evening. Once he had gotten back to his 'space' he meditated attempting to be one with the Force and find his center.

Mostly he thought of his master. _It has been three days...I wonder if he's woken up yet? _He dared not try to sense his master through the bond, however. He had to focused on the task on hand. No matter what he felt through the bond would distract him. Opening his eyes, he grinned grimly at the setting sun. Time to move.

He went up the crates as silent as possible. Luck was with him, the crates were sturdy enough to hold his weight and not make any loud noises. He looked down from the top of the crates. It was a good fifteen foot drop the bottom. Pausing for a brief moment to focus on the Force he leapt over the edge of fence and landed gracefully on his feet. _Eleven minutes until the guards get here, I got to move! _Creeping in the shadows he raced towards the warehouse. The warehouse was a pressed against the fence on side, but not without a gap.

Upon reaching the narrow gap between the fence and warehouse he moved slowly through the gap. His cloak was constantly catching on the fence. _Please, please have the guards not notice this! _With three minutes to spare he reached his goal. What had once been a rear exit, a small man door to the warehouse was facing the fence.

Carefully, he managed to press his light saber against the lock to the door. With a grin he set the light saber to the hottest mode and activated the light saber completely melting the lock. He only had seconds to spare before the guards got to his section of the fence the door swung inward and he was in.

Deactivating the light saber, but keeping it ready in his hand he stalked among the stacked boxes. Gradually his eyes adjusted to the dim lights. Row after row of dark boxes lined the warehouse. They were without dust. _These are new. I wonder where they're from? _Pausing briefly he studied one of the boxes. What he saw made his blood run cold. The Off World company logo was on the box. Another look showed that box after box had the broken circle logo. _Xanatos is behind this. I've got to warn Qui-Gon! _

Before he did that, however, he still needed more answers. Something nagged at him. Suddenly it came to him. _Gori has the only key to the warehouse. He knows about this. He has the answers I seek. Where could he be? I've got to get back to the palace to find him. _Soon he heard voices. _What...? _One of the voices was Gori! Carefully he crept towards his cousin. Glad for the dim lighting, he headed toward the rear of the warehouse. _Please, please may I be wrong about Gori!_

"What do you mean he's missing," Gori snarled. "Find him and take care of him. I've got to get these to the boss. Don't bother me again!"

Obi-wan's eyes widened in shock then narrowed. Gori held a very familiar looking case. It was a medium sized suitcase with special cooling systems on the side. It was the type of case used to keep rare herbs cool, so they wouldn't degrade. Without a doubt, the herbs he sought where that case. Suddenly a wave of the Force rolled over him strongly. He was glad the Force was with him, but he mentally pushed the insisting pressure to the back of his mind. _Not now _he thought _I'm busy. _Obi-wan was glad, he didn't see any guards with Gori. _Good, he's alone. I can capture the herbs without interference. Hopefully Gori will listen to reason and just hand them over. I don't want to hurt him... _

"GORI! Stop," Obi-wan demanded. He stepped into the pool light that his cousin was under. "Hand over the herbs. No one else had to get hurt." Gori stiffened the slowly turned around a silky smile on his face.

"Obi-wan, good to see you. I was looking for you, you know," he purred. "I have an offer for you...how would you like to be wealthy? You can have the galaxy at your finger tips. I've shown you what it is like. Anything you want I can give you. Credits, gold, food, clothing, power...all of it yours if you come with me. Surely you're tired of the dull life of a Jedi."

Obi-wan felt sick to his stomach. Was this what his cousin had become? A greedy worm? He was being offered everything. Like Xanatos had been offered everything. _How could Xanatos want any of that? It is so, so, so petty compared to what a Jedi is about. Oh Gori, how could you have fallen so far?_

"No." His answer was instantaneous. "No, Gori. I like being a Jedi. I like helping people, I like changing things for the better, and I like bringing peace! I don't need fancy food, or wealth, power, or anything like that. I'm happy what I have." The stunned then furious look on Gori's face brought an end to his patience. Gori wasn't listening. "Now. Hand. Over. Those. Herbs." _You're the reason my master is in the healer's wing. How could you attack me like that? I thought we were family..._

"You can take them from my dead body, cousin." Gori sneered. "But not if I kill you first."

"You can try," Obi-wan stated. He didn't want to, but if it came down to it he would kill his cousin. Gori was alone and only had a blaster with him _I can do thi_ - suddenly five advanced killer droids rolled out from behind his cousin hidden by a row of black crates. Inwardly Obi-wan groaned. He didn't have Qui-Gon to help him fight those things. _I will finish this! _Flickering once, his light saber flashed to life and he started his offense. Dodge, whirl, strike dodge was the pattern he used. Hard pressed Obi-wan started to fall back. There were too many of the damned things. _I can't give up! _Suddenly a droid was behind him. Frantically he ducked to the left but a droid beat him to the exit. Fiery pain spread across his stomach where a droids bladed hand sliced him. The wound was shallow, but sith did it hurt! The same droid rotated on its axis hitting him hard in the back of his head with the blunt side of its arm. Before blackness claimed a despairing thought filled him. _I failed..._


	7. The End

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I would also like to thank the people who have reviewed so far, and to thank the people who read the story more than once. Reviews are loved, but so are the people who come back. Enjoy! Le Gasp! The whole thing! Sorry for the delay. Shortly after my last update my computer tanked and died. I had backed up the story on a flash drive...that I had lost. ^^; I didn't feel like uploading a ton of little chapters, so here is the complete story all in one long chapter. Enjoy!**

Despite waking up before dawn he found that BaJi had already left for his day's work in the marketplace. Sarha had cooked him a filling meal of meat stew with dumplings. She gave him instructions on how to get the warehouse unnoticed. After receiving a farewell hug he headed towards the warehouse. It took him most of the day to get there. The warehouse was at the furthest part of the dock, which was clear across the city. Afraid to hitch a ride and be remembered, Obi-wan chose to walk the distance alone. He would have been lost in thought except all around him felt a dangerous presence. Something was wrong, and he was headed towards the source.

With one hand near his light saber he came within reach of the warehouse. It was walled off by a high metal fence. Guards patrolled the parameter every twenty minutes. The windows to the warehouse were small with no light coming from them. _This isn't good. Why is there such defenses around the warehouse? The fence looks new. The guards aren't local either. I bet my answers are in that warehouse._ Obi-wan circled the warehouse looking for an entrance.

There was one place that might work, but he would need time to get in. He found himself hungry and getting frustrated. _I can't get in there tonight. The guards seem very cautious. I'll have to wait until tomorrow night. _He wanted to rush in there and get answers now but his masters teachings floated through his mind. 'Rushing into danger without a plan is a good way to get killed.' His master had sternly told him that after the incident on Phindar. _I'll make a plan tomorrow, but now I need to eat, get a good night's rest and make a plan. _

There were a few places to get food, but he couldn't find a place to rent a room for the night. He comm'd his mother telling her that he would spend another night in the city. He didn't tell her that he would be sleeping in the streets. After searching for an hour, he found a small nook in an alley. It wasn't the most pleasant smelling place to sleep, but it was dry and hidden from sight. Rolling up his cloak into a pillow, Obi-wan curled into a ball. Thoughts of his master drifted through his mind. The bond between them was shadowed. He didn't know if that was because his master was sedated, or if it was because he was dying. _I will not think those thoughts. I will believe I will see him soon. _Quicker then he thought possible, he fell into slumber.

The next day he woke up sore and cramped. _Sleeping on the hard street in a tight ball is not the most pleasant way to sleep. _Making sure no one was looking he did basic stretching exercises to warm his aching muscles. Once he was limber he headed towards the warehouse. Again he crept around the parameter. _Looks like I'm in luck, the guards don't seem as anxious today. Something feels very, very wrong. _After double checking, he found a possible entrance.

Against the far west corner of the warehouse from the dock, a stack of old plastic crates had been stacked against the fence. If the guards didn't change their routine of checking the parameter every twenty minutes, he should have enough time to get past the fence. Carefully he waited until the sun set later that evening. Once he had gotten back to his 'space' he meditated attempting to be one with the Force and find his center.

Mostly he thought of his master. _It has been three days...I wonder if he's woken up yet? _He dared not try to sense his master through the bond, however. He had to focused on the task on hand. No matter what he felt through the bond would distract him. Opening his eyes, he grinned grimly at the setting sun. Time to move.

He went up the crates as silent as possible. Luck was with him, the crates were sturdy enough to hold his weight and not make any loud noises. He looked down from the top of the crates. It was a good fifteen foot drop the bottom. Pausing for a brief moment to focus on the Force he leapt over the edge of fence and landed gracefully on his feet. _Eleven minutes until the guards get here, I got to move! _Creeping in the shadows he raced towards the warehouse. The warehouse was a pressed against the fence on side, but not without a gap.

Upon reaching the narrow gap between the fence and warehouse he moved slowly through the gap. His cloak was constantly catching on the fence. _Please, please have the guards not notice this! _With three minutes to spare he reached his goal. What had once been a rear exit, a small man door to the warehouse was facing the fence.

Carefully, he managed to press his light saber against the lock to the door. With a grin he set the light saber to the hottest mode and activated the light saber completely melting the lock. He only had seconds to spare before the guards got to his section of the fence the door swung inward and he was in.

Deactivating the light saber, but keeping it ready in his hand he stalked among the stacked boxes. Gradually his eyes adjusted to the dim lights. Row after row of dark boxes lined the warehouse. They were without dust. _These are new. I wonder where they're from? _Pausing briefly he studied one of the boxes. What he saw made his blood run cold. The Off World company logo was on the box. Another look showed that box after box had the broken circle logo. _Xanatos is behind this. I've got to warn Qui-Gon! _

Before he did that, however, he still needed more answers. Something nagged at him. Suddenly it came to him. _Gori has the only key to the warehouse. He knows about this. He has the answers I seek. Where could he be? I've got to get back to the palace to find him. _Soon he heard voices. _What...? _One of the voices was Gori! Carefully he crept towards his cousin. Glad for the dim lighting, he headed toward the rear of the warehouse. _Please, please may I be wrong about Gori!_

"What do you mean he's missing," Gori snarled. "Find him and take care of him. I've got to get these to the boss. Don't bother me again!"

Obi-wan's eyes widened in shock then narrowed. Gori held a very familiar looking case. It was a medium sized suitcase with special cooling systems on the side. It was the type of case used to keep rare herbs cool, so they wouldn't degrade. Without a doubt, the herbs he sought where that case. Suddenly a wave of the Force rolled over him strongly. He was glad the Force was with him, but he mentally pushed the insisting pressure to the back of his mind. _Not now _he thought _I'm busy. _Obi-wan was glad, he didn't see any guards with Gori. _Good, he's alone. I can capture the herbs without interference. Hopefully Gori will listen to reason and just hand them over. I don't want to hurt him... _

"GORI! Stop," Obi-wan demanded. He stepped into the pool light that his cousin was under. "Hand over the herbs. No one else had to get hurt." Gori stiffened the slowly turned around a silky smile on his face.

"Obi-wan, good to see you. I was looking for you, you know," he purred. "I have an offer for you...how would you like to be wealthy? You can have the galaxy at your finger tips. I've shown you what it is like. Anything you want I can give you. Credits, gold, food, clothing, power...all of it yours if you come with me. Surely you're tired of the dull life of a Jedi."

Obi-wan felt sick to his stomach. Was this what his cousin had become? A greedy worm? He was being offered everything. Like Xanatos had been offered everything. _How could Xanatos want any of that? It is so, so, so petty compared to what a Jedi is about. Oh Gori, how could you have fallen so far?_

"No." His answer was instantaneous. "No, Gori. I like being a Jedi. I like helping people, I like changing things for the better, and I like bringing peace! I don't need fancy food, or wealth, power, or anything like that. I'm happy what I have." The stunned then furious look on Gori's face brought an end to his patience. Gori wasn't listening. "Now. Hand. Over. Those. Herbs." _You're the reason my master is in the healer's wing. How could you attack me like that? I thought we were family..._

"You can take them from my dead body, cousin." Gori sneered. "But not if I kill you first."

"You can try," Obi-wan stated. He didn't want to, but if it came down to it he would kill his cousin. Gori was alone and only had a blaster with him _I can do thi_ - suddenly five advanced killer droids rolled out from behind his cousin hidden by a row of black crates. Inwardly Obi-wan groaned. He didn't have Qui-Gon to help him fight those things. _I will finish this! _Flickering once, his light saber flashed to life and he started his offense. Dodge, whirl, strike dodge was the pattern he used. Hard pressed Obi-wan started to fall back. There were too many of the damned things. _I can't give up! _Suddenly a droid was behind him. Frantically he ducked to the left but a droid beat him to the exit. Fiery pain spread across his stomach where a droids bladed hand sliced him. The wound was shallow, but sith did it hurt! The same droid rotated on its axis hitting him hard in the back of his head with the blunt side of its arm. Before blackness claimed a despairing thought filled him. _I failed..._

Qui-Gon Jinn was in a lot of pain. Fleeting memories of an attack fluttered through his groggy, pain filled existence. _Is Obi-wan alright? _He wondered. _I don't remember anything after being hit by a dart. Please, Force have my padawan be alright. _Gradually the pain eased off and found himself awake in a strange room. The walls were a barren white with filled the dim light from fluorescent bulbs. Sounds of whirring machines, worried voices, and brisk footsteps filled the room. A large, open window on the far side of the room showed it was just past dawn. He knew from a feeling in the Force he had been asleep for some time. The most worrisome thought, however, was the noticeable absence of Obi-wan. Struggling to get out of bed, he decided to hunt down the missing padawan and make sure he was safe. Suddenly a tall, blue woman appeared in front of him. Gently she placed her hands on his forehead checking for something.

"Good. You're alive. You had us very worried," she smiled at his frowning expression. "Let me fill you in on some things will I do some routine tests. Once I'm sure you're alright you're free to go. You were attacked by a nasty toxin called Fyremers Grace. It attacks the nerves and spinal cord," she pulled out a scanner from a pocket and ran it in front of his face. "and the antidote literally burns it out of your system. Very painful experience, I've been told. So for your sake we put you into a medical coma to ease the pain of treatment. You were extremely lucky to be in good health, and have no allergic reactions. You should also be very glad," with that she put away the scanner, grabbed one his wrists and checked his pulse. Once she was done she continued "that you took the blow for your apprentice. There was enough poison in that dart to kill the boy instantly." She gave the briefest small at the look of relief on his face. "You've been asleep for two days." The scanner in her pocket peeped loudly. She pulled it out of her pocket again checked the reading. "The tests say you're good to go. And please, don't do that again. You that poor boy wrecked with nerves!"

"Speaking of that boy, have you seen him," Qui-Gon asked politely. Perhaps Obi-wan was in bed resting. He searched for the boy but couldn't get a sense of him. Either he asleep, far away, or hiding from him. Only one of those answers made him happy. Slowly he got up, checking his balance keeping an eye on the doctor.

"To be honest, I don't know. He was glued to your side until the nightfall the first day, then he went away and I haven't seen him since. I've got to go check on other patients. If you suddenly feel a numbing sensation or sense of prickling needles, come in right away. May the Force be with you." With those last words she turned around and walked out the door leaving Qui-Gon deep in thought.

_Where is Obi-wan? _Was the first thought that came to mind, then a second more worrisome thought came to mind. _What if he blames me for his uncles death? Surely he didn't abandon me like Xanatos did. No. I refuse to believe that. If he knew it about for so long, then he would have said something to me before this. _Memories came to mind about how Obi-wan had not told him about critical details to the mission, and his cringing reaction when the truth came out. Something was bothering his padawan about the whole situation. _I will get to the bottom of this. Now where did that boy go?_

Someone must have told Jani Kenobi that he was awake because she met him at the exit to the medical bay. Her expression was stern and almost threatening. Eyes the color of a breaking storm glared at him. He recognized the expression. It was the same one as Obi-wan's I-have-an-annoying-problem-to-be-dealt-with-right-now-and-nothing-will-stop-me look. Surely she would know where Obi-wan was. After all, she was his mother.

"Where is Obi-wan," Qui-Gon asked politely. Worry filled him at her flinch. _This isn't good. What is bothering her?_

"I don't know," she snarled at him, her eyes seeming to darken with emotion. "He said he had to complete the mission before anyone else got hurt. Then my baby boy," she paused at those words worry filling her small frame. "Went down into the city. He hasn't been home in two days. He's comm'd me twice saying he was staying in the city for the night but he hasn't said where. I have a bad feeling about this. Why is it my son," she growled "is doing your job without you?" He flinched at her tone.

Qui-Gon wished he knew the answer himself. Surely the boy would have waited for him wake up! Herbs that make a poison potent a small amount could kill his apprentice within moments? Poisons that had already been used against them? Dread filled his gut. Obi-wan was in terrible danger and he didn't know where the boy was. _Even if he deserts me like Xanatos, I still have to make sure he's okay. He is still my responsibility. Surely, I can make it up to him. Make him understand I'm glad to have him as my padawan. That I don't want to lose him..._"I will find him. Where do you think he is?"

She shrugged briefly before responding. "The last I heard he talked to Gori," she said.

"Where is Gori right now? I wish to speak with about what he told Obi-wan." Qui-Gon had the suspicion that Gori would have a good idea where Obi-wan went off too.

"He isn't here. Sometime this morning he went down to one of the dock side warehouses." She paused thinking something about something very hard. She gave him a grudging look, as if she were reluctant to help him. "The nearest dock warehouse is just about a two day walk from here. I can arrange a speeder to get you there by tonight. It should be ready the time you reach the courtyard." With a dismissive wave of her hand, she pointed towards the hallway that would get him outside. _She seems very annoyed with me. Is it because I haven't kept better tabs on Obi-wan? I'll have to ask my apprentice when I find him._

The speeder came programmed with directions to get to the largest warehouse. Qui-Gon said nothing as he raced through the city, but he was constantly trying to reach his padawan through the bond they shared. He only got the distinct impression his padawan was very focused on something, and not responding at all. _Please have him be alright. _He hoped. The closer he got to the warehouse a growing feeling of unease filled him. Obi-wan was in terrible danger. Frantically he tried warning his padawan, only to get no response. It was if the boy wasn't tuned into the Force at all. As if Obi-wan didn't care about him anymore. _What did I do wrong? What am I doing to drive two good boys to darkness? I swore I wouldn't repeat my mistakes on Obi-wan that I did with Xanatos. I never spoiled him..._but no answers came to him. The unmistakable mark that Obi-wan made in the Force told him that Obi-wan was in the warehouse.

Qui-Gon shoved a wave of the Force, clear and crisp towards padawan, begging him to respond. He got no reply. Unease filled him as parked the speeder next the fence surrounding the warehouse. There were no guards, only a dim light coming from one of the windows. The gate to the fence was locked, but a few quick swipes of his light saber opened the gate. Purposefully he strode towards the warehouse, unhindered. The main entrance wasn't locked and he marched in quickly. Once he was past the first row of boxes he could clearly hear voices. What he heard froze him in tracks.

"GORI! Stop," Obi-wan voice echoed. "Hand over the herbs. No one else has to get hurt." Qui-Gon was proud of his padawan. Obi-wan had found the missing herbs and was live. But the words that followed froze him.

"Obi-wan, good to see you. I was looking for you, you know," an oily voice purred. "I have an offer for you...how would you like to be wealthy? You can have the galaxy at your finger tips. I've shown you what it is like. Anything you want I can give you."

No, no, no, no a voice repeated in Qui-Gon's head. _Not again! Obi-wan don't listen_!

"Credits, gold, food, clothing, power...all of it yours if you come with me. Surely you're tired of the dull life of a Jedi." Again that oily voice tempted Obi-wan.

"No." Obi-wan's answer was instantaneous. "No, Gori. I like being a Jedi. I don't need fancy food, or wealth, power, or anything like that. I'm happy what I have. Now. Hand. Over. Those. Herbs."

Joy filled Qui-Gon. He felt foolish for not trusting his padawan. The mistakes of the past had not been repeated. But soon he heard more that had him break into a run.

"You can take them from my dead body, cousin." Gori sneered. "But not if I kill you first."

"You can try," Obi-wan stated. Then the sounds of a furious battle broke out. _Hang on Obi-wan, I'm coming! _

Qui-Gon raced through rows of black boxes. A mere moment he ran into an open area. A well dressed young man stood back watching as Obi-wan battled for his life. Five nasty looking droids were pressing Obi-wan back. With a flick of his wrist his light saber turned on but not before Obi-wan seemed to stumble and droid got in a hit. Before he could reach Obi-wan the boy crumpled to his knees, then a second blow hit him hard in the head. Blood flowed freely around the boy.

"_NO!_" He shouted. He was too late! Using speed he didn't know he possessed he dispatched the five droids. They had relaxed their attack stances once the boy had been nullifed as a threat and weren't expecting such fierce attacks. A gleeful chortle echoed beside. Gori smirked at him, waved the case containing the herbs then ran in the opposite direction. _I'll deal with you later. _Qui-Gon thought, but quickly turned his attention to his padawan. Obi-wan was bleeding badly from a long, thin, and luckily, shallow cut across his stomach.

"Obi-wan," Qui-Gon said sadly. This was all his fault. If he had trusted in his padawan instead of listening, then he would have been here in time. Gently pressing his hand against the bleeding wound, he stopped the blood flow with the Force. Obi-wan groaned softly, but didn't awaken. Static then a frantic Jani started talking through Obi-wan's comm. Qui-Gon grabbed the comm with a bloody hand then started talking. "Jani, I found him. He's alive but hurt, I need an ambulance at dock side warehouse OW-13." The comm went silent for a few seconds before loud cursing broke through. Qui-Gon could not make out the angry words, but he did get the knowledge that an ambulance would be there shortly.

Cradling Obi-wan in his arms, Qui-Gon carried him outside. It was probably less than twenty minutes, but it felt like forever before the ambulance came screaming up the warehouse. Numbly, he handed over Obi-wan to a worried team of medics. Before he could get inside the ambulance with Obi-wan, Jani appeared nearby in her own speeder. She ran up to him and slapped him hard.

Chapter Nine: A mother's wrath and a son's understanding.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" She screamed apparently not caring that anyone could hear her. Before he could mutter an apology, she continued with her rant. "If it weren't for you Obi-wan wouldn't be a Jedi! He would be safe at home!"

"No, it was temples decision to have him be sent to a farm after his training, he wouldn't be here with you..." Qui-Gon tried explaining. Jani cut him off.

"You. Do. Not. Understand. Obi-wan was discovered to be Force sensitive later just before he turned three. He was almost at the cutoff age to become a Jedi. My husband and I had hoped that if we stalled long enough, he would reach the cut off age. Then you," she snarled "came here to have peace talks with my brother, Gor-wan. I didn't know this, but Obi-wan had snuck out and watched you kill my brother. This didn't upset him. No! Instead because of he wanted to become a Jedi. After you left all he said was 'Jedi this, Jedi that.' IF you had not happened, he would not have left me. How could I say no to his eager 'Momma I wanna be a Jedi!'. Shortly after you left the Jedi came and took him away. Then you replaced my husband and I as his parents!" Pausing she took a deep breath.

"You taught him to tie his shoelaces not me. It was you that brought him comfort when his father away, not me. It was your stupid Force sensitive rock that saved him from torture, not my love! Not only did you take him away from me you can't even keep him safe!" Tears were streaming down Jani's face. She raised her hand to slap him again, but suddenly stopped herself. "And worst of all...you don't even love him like I do! He loves you like a father but you never even give him the time of day. How can you treat my baby boy like that? Don't you care about him?!" As if realizing what she had said - in public - Jani turned away from and walked away. She got into her speeder, gave Qui-Gon one last angry stare and drove off leaving Qui-Gon speechless.

Qui-Gon stood still. There had been a lot of revelation's today he had not been aware off. _Did she really mean all of that? _He walked over to the speeder dimly remembering that the medics had said they were taking Obi-wan to the Waterside Medical Center. After punching in the coordinates to the medical center, he reflected on what Jani had said as the speeder went on autopilot. _Have I really had such an influence on Obi-wan? The only way she could know is Obi-wan told her those things..._A deep dig into his memories did bring up the truth. He had, in fact, a long time ago teach a very young student how to tie his shoelaces.

He had, in fact, forgotten that Obi-wan had gotten lost after learning his father had died. That he had been the one to find him, sooth the boy's pain, and return him. Vaguely, he remembered the warning he had gotten when fighting Obi-wan's uncle. At the time he had attributed the warning to Xanatos. But, no, he knew now that was wrong. The warning felt exactly like one of Obi-wan's. There had been a bond at such a young age? He had never heard of such a thing. This would require a lot of meditation.

But, perhaps, worst of all is the realization that perhaps he had been hurting Obi-wan by not telling him how pleased he was with the boy's progress. Did Obi-wan really think he didn't care about him? It would partially explain why he had been keeping secrets. _Obi-wan is ashamed of me. What am I doing wrong? I thought for sure that..._But his thoughts were interrupted as he had reached the hospital. He parked the speeder in the emergency parking area then went in search of his padawan. The least he owed the boy was an apology. But what else should he say?

Obi-wan felt like he was floating in a sea of warm water. He felt nothing, heard nothing, and wanted nothing. However, something was circling him under the sea of tranquility he was in. Suddenly it grasped him, dragging him down. He remembered. He remembered the fight with Gori, and his failure. Gasping for breath he struggled to wake up. _I have to get the herbs! I have to warn Qui-Gon!_

Bolting upright, Obi-wan found himself in a strange place. Confusion filled him. _What? When? Where? _Then a calming wave from the Force surrounded him. He attempted to twist to the side to see what was going on and found himself facing a worried looking Qui-Gon. "M-m-master?" He stammered confused.

"I'm glad to see you awake padawan," Qui-Gon said softly. Obi-wan felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. Qui-Gon was alive and his master still called him padawan! He wasn't being disowned! Before Obi-wan could think much further on this joyful news Qui-Gon continued. "I owe you an apology, Obi-wan. I should have reached you sooner in the warehouse. In a moment of weakness, I paused to listen in. If I had trusted you like I should have, you never would have been hurt. I am sorry, padawan."

Obi-wan blinked slowly. _He's apologizing? _Another reason for joy he decided. Qui-Gon had heard his speech to Gori. Qui-Gon didn't blame him like he did Xanatos. _Thank the Force! I have never been happier getting hurt. I just wish it had taken less though. I am sore!_

"It is okay master. I understand." He said simply, but send waves of happiness through the bond. He felt Qui-Gon relax at this. However, a look he recognized came to his master's face. It was you-are-getting-a-lecture face.

"However, padawan we need to discuss communication. You shouldn't keep secrets from your master, especially if they involve a mission now I want you to..." Before Qui-Gon could continue he noticed a look of dismay on Obi-wan's face. He needed to continue explaining to his padawan that he did care and..but then Obi-wan's next words drove all those thoughts out of his mind.

"Master! In the warehouse! It was filled with Off World trading boxes. Gori had been working with Xanatos..." Obi-wan then went on to tell Qui-Gon about his adventures. He held nothing back, not realizing what he had interrupted. All that he knew was that his master still wanted him, and that Xanatos was still was after them. Somehow, things would work themselves out.

Interlude Two: Lessons

Obi-wan was excited. He and Qui-Gon had just returned from their first official mission(s) together, and he was getting his first I-don't-have-to-worry-about-dying-if-I-don't-learn-this lesson from his master! He almost bounced into the common area they shared. Qui-Gon was already there and had a cup of tea and some...laundry? _What? _Obi-wan felt confused. Why did his master have laundry?

"I'm here master," he said as calmly as possible. "Now what?" Obi-wan felt a little shiver of nervousness when Qui-Gon set down his cup of tea and pulled out a needle and thread. He had never seen such things before in real life, but he had heard from other students that such things were used for mending clothes. _What does mending clothes have to do with being a Jedi?_

"Now, padawan, I am going to teach you how to sew. It will be your responsibility to keep our," he emphasized the 'our' "clothes well mended. Watch closely as I do this." Obi-wan sat down next to Qui-Gon and paid close attention. It seemed simple enough to push the thread through the eye of the needle - _who knew needles even had eyes! _and start to piece together two pieces of cloth. Qui-Gon was quick and efficient. "I want you to practice until you have it right. I will be attending other business while you work." With that, Qui-Gon set down his empty tea cup and headed out the door leaving Obi-wan speechless behind him. _What did I get myself into? _Obi-wan wondered briefly before trying the task at hand.

Threading a needle turned out to be very, very difficult. No matter how many times he tried, the thread wouldn't go in! More often than not he dropped the needle on his leg, which hurt! Half an hour later, and he still hadn't threaded the needle. Three times he dropped it and spent time on his hands and knees searching for it. Usually it 'found' him by pricking him in the finger. Balancing lightly on the chair, he eyed the needle like I have an annoying problem to be dealt with right now and nothing will stop me look. Carefully, he took aim and success! It went through.

"Yes," he exclaimed happily holding the needle upright which caused the thread to fall of the needle. _This can't be happening. I'd rather be on Phindar holding off battle droids then this...it would be less painful! _Obi-wan narrowed his eyes and tried again. Four more tries later, he finally threaded the needle. He was much, much more cautious with the thin piece of thread this time. Glad to have the 'hard' part of over, he looked at the pile clothing.

To his surprise, some of his clothing was in there as well! _I'll work with my clothes first. _Which turned out to be a very good thing. His first attempt at sewing looked terrible. The seams weren't even, or neat, or small like his master's. Plus, his fingers hurt! More often than not, he pricked his fingers with the needles. Often he had to stop and suck on his fingers to keep them from bleeding on the clothing. Some of his first chances to make his master proud had not gone well.

An hour had passed, and Obi-wan had bright red, sore fingers and three finished pieces of clothing. He wanted to redo the pieces of clothing, but he had no idea how to start! A faint pulse of the Force warned him that his master had returned. To his relief his master did not ask to inspect his handiwork. However, Qui-Gon gave him a you-are-getting-another-lesson look.

"Now what, master?" Obi-wan asked. He saw a faint gleam in his master's eye and he inwardly groaned. _What did I get myself into? _

"It is well past the time you learned how to cook. I will show you the basics with tonight's dinner. After tonight, however, I expect you to cook our meals for breakfast and dinner. This will be the routine while we are staying at the Temple. You will cook us breakfast, then work on sparring with me, go to regular classes, eat lunch, then work on mending, and cook us dinner." Qui-Gon paused. "You will have two hours of free time after dinner to do as you please. Once your free time is over, you will join me for meditation. Now, let me show you how to brown meat."

Obi-wan tucked the partially mended clothing under a end table and watched Qui-Gon. He knew nothing about cooking. How should he know there was a difference between a tablespoon and teaspoon? That there was a big difference between a dry measuring cup and wet measuring? That there was such a big difference between a roiling broil and gentle broil. By the time dinner was done, Obi-wan's head was spinning. Cooking food seemed about as complex as some as his fighting lessons. They ate dinner in silence. Qui-Gon retired to his room, leaving Obi-wan to his free time. His fingers ached, and he had a minor headache. However, he eyed the basket of still torn clothing. _I'll never master this if I don't practice. _Gingerly he picked up the basket and looked around the room. _I'll practice someplace else. Not where Qui-Gon can see me fail._

Remembering a small, often overlooked up meditation room that faced the setting sun, Obi-wan carried his basket there. On his way there he almost ran into Bant. "Bant! How are you doing," he asked eagerly. Bant always helped him cheer up.

"Oh, you don't want to know," she sighed. She eyeballed his basket and sewing kit perched delicately on top. "When did you pick up sewing?"

"Well my master has these ideas about lessons..." before he continue Bant giggled.

"You too? My master had me doing new lessons today as well! Want to talk about it?" Obi-wan nodded eagerly. It was always fun to swap learning stories with Bant. She had been chosen by a master sometime between his missions. However, she hadn't been sent out into the field yet. On their way to the meditation room, they came across a harried looking Garen.

"You guys won't believe the -" Garen started to say but was soon joined by two other voices.

"The lessons we've had!" Bant and Obi-wan chimed in. Soon all of three of them were laughing. Before long they reached the meditation room. They sat in a circle with Obi-wan's basket of clothing in the middle.

"You first Obi-wan, since you brought your lesson with you!" Bant said gleefully. Obi-wan was always good for a bit of fun.

"My master decided that I should learn how sew and cook! I have to do these things for both us for now one. I never knew sewing and cooking was so much work." Suddenly bashful, he looked down at his red, red fingers. " Your turn Bant."

"My master decided that I needed lessons in aquatic exercises! However," she lowered her voice "My master doesn't know how to swim! She waded into the pool to help explain something and slipped! She started to sink to the very bottom and I had to rescue her." Both of her friends nodded understandingly. "Your turn Garen."

"I had lessons on dieting today." That explained it all. Obi-wan patted Garen on the back. Garen's appetite was famous. Looking at each other's crestfallen faces they started laughing.

"Obi-wan, your fingers look terrible. I know how to sew, let me help you," Bant said eagerly. "In fact, I have something that will be really useful." Reaching into her pockets, Bant pulled out a small cup like item. "This is a thimble, it goes over your finger, so you don't prick you fingers. I have plenty of them, you can keep that one." Bant inspected the pile of clothing while Obi-wan tried the thimble on for size. "You're actually doing a really good job Obi-wan! You'll get the hang of this in no time. But in the meantime, let me help you with this pile." With a care, Bant picked up a piece of clothing, picked a second needle and thread from the sewing kit and got to work.

"I have something you might find useful as well, Obi-wan. I have this guide to easy cooking. It'll give you quick, easy and tasty things to cook." Garen reached into his pockets and pulled out a small, but well worn book. "You can keep it. I have two copies, and with the new diet I'm on, I can't use that book much more anyways. And don't feel so bad about your lessons Obi-wan. My master told me that I'm actually very lucky. Only the old fashioned master's make their padawans do chores like you do. It isn't that he doesn't like you, he's just teaching you," Garen held up his head and changed his tone of voice to low and serious "'How to be humble and efficient. The best Jedi can take care of themselves unlike some Jedi these days.'" At his tone and expression Obi-wan and Bant chortled. Garen did a good impression of a serious older Jedi.

Obi-wan smiled warmly at his two friends. What had started out to be a disaster turned out okay. Garen watched Bant and Obi-wan sew talking about the new kinds of food he got to eat. Obi-wan as getting his stitches tighter and smaller the longer he worked. By the end of the two hours, Obi-wan had a piece of mending clothing that he deemed 'passable.'

"Thank you, Bant. Thank you Garen. You guys helped me out big time! Maybe now I can make my master proud..." They shook their heads. It wasn't a problem they assured him. Obi-wan had to step quickly but he made it in time for evening meditation. Qui-Gon didn't give him a second look as Obi-wan put the basket of clothes into his room.

Obi-wan managed to find a sense of calm during the meditation. His friends had helped him immensely, and he was thankful to the Force. After all, wasn't it the Force that brought them all together? At the end of meditation, Obi-wan wandered into his room. He wasn't quite sleepy yet, and eyed the basket. Turning on the light, Obi-wan went back to work on the clothing. Sometime later he placed his head on his desk. _Just a little break. Then I'll finish this piece of clothing and go to bed..._

Later that evening, Qui-Gon noticed that his padawan's light was still on. When he checked in on Obi-wan, he smiled. _He worked so hard on these lessons. I am pleased with his progress. He'll make a fine Jedi some day. _Gently he picked up his padawan and set him down on the bed. Carefully he took off Obi-wan's boots and tucked him in. Remembering how red and sore his padawan's fingers had looked, Qui-Gon retreated into his room for some healing salve. It didn't take long for him cover each of Obi-wan's fingers with the stuff. Once he was done, he leaned against the doorway and watched the young boy sleep peacefully.

"Good job Obi-wan," he whispered softly, before heading to bed himself.

Chapter 11: Plans

Savagely Xanatos kicked the corpse in front of him. The damned fool had failed! He had promised to kill the boy. Then, once he had failed at that, he had promised he could corrupt the boy. How sweet it would have if his previous master had witnessed his second padawan convert to the Dark Side. But no, the boy proved too stupid. How could he not want the riches Xanatos had? No matter, the boy was of little consequence. What he wanted, truly and deeply was the suffering, then agonizing death of Qui-Gon.

Briskly he picked up the case and headed towards his transport off the this pathetic planet. At least the fool had done one right correctly. He had delivered the herbs. Oh, the things he could do with these herbs. In miniscule amounts they were beneficial to medicine. In large amounts they inflicted terrible, terrible pain. Such things were heavily guarded, measured, and watched. Difficult to steal, and even more difficult to bribe. Yet, he had gotten very, very lucky. The Trade Master himself wanted more than he was given in life. A few words here, a few promises there, and delivery of some goods had gotten him what he wanted. There had even been a bonus, for some reason Qui-Gon had been summoned to retrieve the herbs. The perfect chance for an ambush, and he had such a willing tool. But no, the plan was ruined because of that damned clumsy apprentice.

On his ship, Xanatos paced back and forth thinking. Qui-Gon was deeply in tune with the Force. It was very difficult the surprise him. The Jedi Council knew that Qui-Gon was a target, and kept any knowledge of his missions under close guard. It was damn near impossible to bribe a Jedi. Not only that, but he was equal in his own fighting style. Killing Qui-Gon would be very, very difficult. Somehow he needed a way to get him distracted. Distracted enough that he could torture the man. How though? What weaknesses did he have? Suddenly the incident on Naaden replayed itself to him.

_The boy is key. Qui-Gon took the blow meant for the boy. Instead of completing the mission, he saved the boy. I could feel his agony over the boy being injured. Yes, the way to deal Qui-Gon the most pain is through the boy. _A smile spread across his face. Now he had an edge over Qui-Gon. The boy was Qui-Gon's weak link.

Settling down in a rich leathery black seat, Xanatos spied the case. Smirking, he opened the case to survey the contents. Fingers wrapped in black gloves caressed the bottles containing various bringers of pain and death. _Not this one, it will kill the boy took quickly. Perhaps this one, it leaves the target paralyzed for life. Mhm, this one might work it causes flesh to melt away. So many choices. I will have to plan this very carefully. I swear, by the end of the year, that boy will die a terrible death, and there is nothing Qui-Gon can do to save him!_

Clear across the galaxy Master Yoda shivered as a vision came to him. "In grave danger is Obi-wan. Warn him and Qui-Gon I must. Come to past this vision must not." As quick as short stature would let him, Master Yoda went in search of Obi-wan and Qui-Gon.

Chapter 12: Dangerous Waters

Obi-wan paced across the small space. It was exactly seventeen paces wide, and seventeen paces long. Why his master had chosen, no ordered! him to stay in his room until further notice had irked Obi-wan. _Something is going on here. I know I'm not trouble. I asked Qui-Gon myself and he said no. I know he didn't lie to me. However, he isn't telling me everything. Something is bothering him badly, and he won't tell me! I can sense his emotions through our bond. They are chaotic and unruly. _Again he paced around his room thinking.

Back and forth, back and forth he went trying to figure out what was wrong. _I've never seen him like this! What in the galaxy could bother him so badly? _No answers came to him. Meditation had nothing to calm him down. Meditation seemed to one of Qui-Gon's answers to everything. _I wouldn't mind being locked up in here so much if I knew why I had to be!_

When he had returned from Naaden, he had such high hopes! Qui-Gon had finally acknowledged him, his mother had told him how proud she was of him, and Qui-Gon seemed more...open. Like he wasn't afraid of letting him in. _It almost felt like he stopped comparing me to Xanatos..._But no. Things had changed for the worse once they had arrived at Corusant. Master Yoda had met them in person at the entrance. He wished to speak with Qui-Gon in private. This wasn't too unusual, however. Master Yoda often would pull aside individuals to pass on a piece of knowledge. Yet, whatever he told Qui-Gon had made things unbearable.

Qui-Gon had stormed into their chambers and ordered Obi-wan into this rooms and not leave. Things had been like this a for a week! No one would speak to him about it either. He didn't have to cook, clean , sew, practice sparring or anything! Three times a day his master brought him food and told him to continue to stay put. No contact with his friends, nothing! Obi-wan was running out of things to do. His room was spotless. All of his books were organized by author. There wasn't any mending left to do. _I swear, once I get out of here, I am going to have a chat with Master Yoda. Whatever he told my master he should have told me. _

Suddenly there was a soft knock at his door. Bounding across the room he opened the door. Leaning against the outside of the door was Qui-Gon. Obi-wan narrowed his eyes briefly. His master looked terrible! _It looks like he hasn't slept or eaten anything since we got here. But then again...maybe he hasn't. _Before Obi-wan could launch a set of questions Qui-Gon held up his hand signaling for silence.

"I'm sorry you've been locked up in here Obi-wan, but something has come up. You should pack for at least two weeks worth of clothes. We're going on a special mission that requires secrecy. I'll meet you outside of our rooms in an hour. Don't pack anything you don't need." Once he was finished speaking, Qui-Gon gave Obi-wan a faint smile then went to pack himself.

Eyes narrowed very low, Obi-wan turned around. Something was very, very wrong. Somehow he was involved, but he couldn't figure out how. Although they hadn't been on very many missions together, Obi-wan had heard stories about other missions went. And he had never heard of a mission starting like this. _I will figure out what is bothering you master. I will find out and stomp it flat so our lives can go back to normal. _It didn't take him long to pack. Since his closet was already organized down to his boot laces he knew everything was. He packed a week's worth of warm weather clothing, and week's worth of cold weather clothing. Although he didn't put much thought into it usually, Obi-wan sorted and organized his utility belt. He put in the lock pick Garen had given him, a needle, some thread, and the thimble Bant had given him. Double checking, he made sure that the river stone his master had given him for his thirteenth birthday was safely tucked in his inside pocket. After checking everything three times, he went outside of his room for the first time in a week. To his disgust nothing had changed. The shared living room liked exactly the same. He didn't have long to take in the scenery before Qui-Gon came out of his room, bag slung over his shoulder.

"Where are we headed master," Obi-wan asked hopefully. His master's response of 'You'll find out when we get there' irked him some more. _Anger leads to the Dark Side, and I refuse to let a stubborn old man get there. Why won't you tell me what's wrong? I can't help fix the problem without knowing what the problem is. _Qui-Gon took down some passages in the Temple Obi-wan had never noticed before. He didn't have long to see much about them, however, as his master was walking rather quickly. Soon they were near the top level of the Temple. Outside was a small landing pad. Perched gently on the landing pad was a small, but heavily armed ship.

Obi-wan's eyes widened. Whatever was going on, it involved a ship with some serious guns. On that small ship he counted more guns then all of the previous ships he's traveled on combined! _Whatever is this problem is it involves some serious firepower. Isn't this a bit of an overkill? _Obi-wan found it just a tad bit strange there was no pilot. Qui-Gon got into the cockpit and started the ship himself. "Have a seat Obi-wan, I'll join you once we're on track to where we're going. Getting on track requires personal handling, but once we're there I'll let autopilot take over," Qui-Gon told him. With a great deal of control he stopped himself from muttering unhappily under his breath as he passed his master. He was finally free of his rooms, he shouldn't complain. Yet, somehow he felt like he had traded one prison for another one...

Qui-Gon told him that a royal family was under attack and needed to be protected. The capital was located in a mountainous area in supposedly an impenetrable fortress. Nothing could get in or out without permission, and the royal family couldn't say what they needed protection from. Yet, the royal family had asked for protection anyway despite not telling the Jedi what the danger was. Obi-wan listened intently. He didn't understand why they needed they ship they had to get there...but Qui-Gon wouldn't answer his questions. The danger was supposedly only in place for two weeks then it would be gone. Once the family was safe from harm, the two of them could return and life would return to normal. _This story has more holes then blaster target. I'll accept it for now. Once I'm free to move around again, I'm going to get to the bottom of this. _

The flight took three days and was uneventful. Obi-wan was very impressed by the city, however. Somehow the city had been cut into the mountain itself! On the outskirts of the city was high stone wall surrounding the part of the capital exposed from the mountain. The city walls, and even parts of the mountain were equipped with large cannons. Obi-wan whistled as they approached the city from the outskirts. No ship was allowed to land in the city itself. There was a landing pad outside of the city. The landing pad had grown its own 'city' to accommodate travelers who were just passing through.

Qui-Gon didn't let Obi-wan admire the growth around the landing port. Once they landed, and armored transport was ready to take them into the city. The view was limited from the transport so Obi-wan pretended to sleep. Qui-Gon's face was expressionless. He had also stopped giving off anything sort of feeling through the bond. _What is bothering you so bad master? What is so important about this royal family? _Less than two hours later they had arrived in the City.

"Qui-Gon! I'm so glad to see you!" A cheerful, feminine voice hollered once they got off the transport. Obi-wan's eyes widened. He didn't know of very many woman that would greet this master like this other than Tahl. A short, stocky woman in a plain, coarse looking brown robe practically ran up to them. Her hair, and part of her face was covered by a veil as the same fabric as the robe. Something was very familiar outfit, but he couldn't remember it. His eyes widened as Qui-Gon and the woman hugged each other before inspecting each other. _I didn't know master had any other than friends other than Tahl..._

"Hema, I would like you to meet my padawan, Obi-wan Kenobi." At the sound of his name, Obi-wan came forward and bowed politely. Although she didn't wear anything expensive, and aura of command was all around her. Her eyes were dark blue, almost the color of an ocean. At her intense glaze, Obi-wan almost wanted to head back to the ship! It was if she were judging his very worth right then. But, no, his master wouldn't bring him to harm, so he held his ground. "Padawan, this is Hema. She is the Reverent Mother of the Sisters of the Force." Obi-wan's eyes widened. Now he remembered the garments! The Sisters of the Force was a humble group of former Jedi students who didn't get picked by a Master. If he had been female, he may very well have ended up here.

"Let's get you secured," Hema chirped brightly. Although he couldn't see much of Hema, he judged her to about Qui-Gon's age. For someone so short, she had a brisk walk that quickly lead them towards the palace. _Secure? _Obi-wan's thoughts paused briefly at this. Before he could continue this line of thought, Hema went on. "Alas, the royal family has gone to the upper fortress, so you won't be seeing them. However, we contacted the Jedi Temple and they agreed you could take a vacation here, since you've went through all the trouble of getting here."

Obi-wan was glad he was walking behind his master, because he knew he would get a lecture for the look of hurt and anger on his face. _The whole reason we even came here is a lie! No royal family that 'demands' protection would shrug us off like that. And to stay and just do nothing? Something is very, very wrong and I'm tired of being kept in the dark. What in the Force is going on master?! _The further they walked in the city, and as huge metal shut behind them, landing with a vibrating _THUD! _Qui-Gon visibly relaxed.

Once he figured out that his master and Hema weren't going to tell him anything, he started to focus on their surroundings. Everything was a mild slope that lead uphill. People hurried about their business occasionally giving him a second glance. The buildings were in good repair. They were walking through a business area. Stall after stall of exotic foods, herbs, goods, and books lined the streets. Hema and Qui-Gon seemed to talk no notice of them. Some of the items in the stalls made him blink. The colors of fabric and clothing were rather...bright. Neon pinks, blues, greens, and yellows were popular. In fact, most of the clothing people wore was very colorful and often bright. The three of them stood out in their simple brown and cream clothing.

Normally this helped them blend in, but not here. For a reason he could not explain standing out caused sense of unease to fill him. None of the roofs were flat, instead they were steep with rough, often sharp edges! Another odd thing - he never game across an open space large enough for any sort of ship to land. The streets were narrow. Almost no one was in a speeder of any sort. People mostly seem to walk from place to place. _This place is meant to withstand an attack. I would not want to have to get in here without an invitation! _With that thought, they walked into the inner palace and were ushered into their rooms. _By the time we leave, I will find out what is bothering you master, even if it kills me._

Chapter 13:

It had been a long week. Obi-wan was about ready to pull out his hair with frustration. His master was distant and distracted. Qui-Gon's general response to his questions was 'Meditate on it, padawan' or 'I need to meditate before I give you an answer'. He had been giving free range of the palace, which he was thankful for. Yet, at all times he had to have his comm with him. His master made him do periodic check in with him as well. _Why doesn't he trust me? What did I do wrong? _No matter how much he thought, brooded, or meditated about the problem on hand, he got no answers. Not from his master, or the Force. However, the Force was trying to tell him something. Ever since his first night here, he had been plagued nightly by visions. Oh, he knew the difference between a nightmare and a vision. Nightmares were foggy and often forgotten by the lunch the following day. No, these visions were crisp and clear and he remembered each one vividly.

In each vision he felt himself burning. He could not see or smell and fire, but that is what it felt like. As he lay curled in agony on a cold, stone floor his master hovered above him, and horrified expression on his face. Over and over he could hear the words, 'No, no, no, no' being repeated. He was in agony, he couldn't tell who was saying those words. But he could feel the sorrow and horror in them. He knew he was dying. Yet, that wasn't worst part. Someone cloaked in shadows snuck up behind his master and used his own green light saber to behead Qui-Gon from behind. At the end of this vision he would jolt upright in his bed, almost feeling the pain of loss. _I can't let this happen. I have to prevent Qui-Gon's death. _The sense that this vision was getting closer to reality pressed on him. This, more than the vision itself kept him tossing and turning each night.

Obi-wan didn't have to look in a mirror to see the bags under his eyes. Qui-Gon looked no better. Yet, no matter how he approached the subject of visions or nightmares his master would get an expressionless look on his face. Obi-wan knew better though. He could sense the dismay through their bond. Still his master's response was the same, 'Visions do not always come to pass, padawan. Meditate on them and find the answer the Force is trying to tell you.' This answer did not please him. It felt like constant hours had been wasted in meditation. He could not find his center or any peace in meditation. Another problem nagged him.

People were getting really sick. A bad case of food poisoning was going around. No one could pin point the cause of the food poisoning, but whatever was causing it was nasty. The victims were stuck in their beds in utter agony. It was so painful that they couldn't do any else but retch and moan. Common cures did nothing against it either. The food poisoning wasn't selective. The rich, poor, and middle class all got sick. No one seemed to share anything in common with the other victims. This was a puzzling mystery. Since he had nothing better to do, he set about trying to solve it. Day after day he scourged through the lower parts of the palace where the food stores were. Along the way, he seemed to have made a friend.

Her name was /Divya and she was amazing. /Divya was a servant who's master had gotten ill with the food poisoning. Since she had nothing to do but worry, she too had set out to find a cure. The girl was very fond of her master, and was just as eager to find the source of the problem as Obi-wan was. Once they figured that they were allies in this quest, they set out together. Obi-wan and her searched through storage rooms, closets, and dishes. Sometimes they had to do this in secrecy. Not very many adults wanted young adults ruffling through their business, so she would take Obi-wan through secret tunnels. These weren't exactly tunnels, however, more like ventilation shafts. Small passages had been cut throughout the rock and palace to allow airflow. They were just big enough to allow two young adults on the small size to crawl through them. The vents were covered by thick ornate grates.

/Divya showed Obi-wan the trick to opening and closing them. With a small but sturdy chisel it was possible to pry them open. Each grate had a metal bar around the edges while helped it stay in place. With a strong hook and nudge of a foot, it was possible to close the grate from inside the tunnel. Obi-wan felt very proud of himself after learning how to close the grate quickly and quietly after just a couple tries. /Divya seemed very impressed by this as well. It was during lunch on the seventh day of his visit when they heard a loud siren wail. Obi-wan was eating lunch with /Divya in a small area when it went off. Startled he looked around for a source of danger. His new friend was quick to reassure him.

"Oh, don't worry too much Obi-wan! That means that the outlanders - a term he learned meant people who didn't live in the city - are trying to go to war again. They never attack here, but we need them to stay peaceful. They're the ones that grow most of our food." She listened carefully to the repeat pattern of the siren. "Mhm, this warning means that they are going to outright blood bath. We have a man, Sir Jarun, that goes out to them and makes peace among them. This happens so frequently, we got tired of asking for Jedi intervention, so we trained someone ourselves."

"I thought that Jarun was one of the first ones to get ill. Isn't he still bed ridden?" A frown crossed Obi-wan's face as he thought about this. Then he smiled suddenly. This was something he and his master could do! It would great if he could get out of the palace and get back doing the work of a Jedi. "Maybe my master and I could go out in his place."

"Maybe," she agreed. "I'd miss you though!" Smiling brightly at him, they went back to discussing possible sources of food poisoning. The next source they were going to check was the water source. Soon the sirens turned off and Obi-wan dismissed the trouble all together. His master would let him know if they would be sent out or not. About an hour later, Obi-wan and /Divya had made a plan to sneak into the water room when Obi-wan's comm buzzed.

"Padawan," Qui-Gon's voice said. "I'm going out to try and prevent a serious war. If I don't do something to stop this, thousands of people will be killed." Obi-wan frowned. His master wasn't say 'we'. "I need you to stay here. I should be back at the end week, then we can back to Corusant." _No way am I being left behind! _He thought.

"No, master I'm coming with you! You'll need my help - " but he was cut off.

"No. I am ordering you to stay here. Do not leave the palace at any cost. I'll be out of comm range, but I want you to have your comm with you at all times. Do not disappoint me padawan by disobeying me." Qui-Gon sounded annoyed. Truly annoyed. Obi-wan had never felt his master like this before. _There is something wrong about this. _"Don't worry padawan," Qui-Gon suddenly said. "If I thought it were safe enough for you to come with me, I would have you come with. But things are very dangerous right now, and I need you to stay put, where nothing can harm you." _Why do people think I can't take care of myself? I'm a Jedi! I know how to handle danger. _

"Yes, master." Glaring at the now silent comm, his thoughts were interrupted by /Divya.

"Don't worry Obi-wan, I'm sure everything will work out for the best. It is almost dark, we should be getting ready for bed." Nodding his head in reluctant agreement, he parted ways with her and headed to bed.

As he got ready for a heavy sense of danger surrounded him. The Force was warning him, but he couldn't about what. It didn't seem to be warning him about Qui-Gon, no it seemed to be saying that he was in danger. Knowing that there was nothing he could do right away, he went got ready for bed. He slept in his clothes, boots on and kept his light saber right at his side. His comm and utility belt, however, were on a chair next to the door. _Whatever happens, I'll be ready! _Amazingly enough, he actually drifted off to sleep.

"Obi-wan! Obi-wan!" A voice hissed loudly in his ear. Startled, he jumped out of bed instinctively reaching his light saber. In front of him was /Divya. She looked scared. "You're in danger! I heard that someone is here to kill you! They're on their way now. C'mon! Let's get out of here!" He was tempted to stay and fight, but the Force seemed to whisper to him, 'There are too many, go now!' Suddenly he could hear footsteps facing down the hallway. /Divya had already crawled into the ventilation shaft. He didn't have time to grab anything but his light saber. Quickly he crawled in behind /Divya. As quick as he could he shut the grate behind him. Before he had even crawled five feet a voice he hoped he'd never hear again shouted out in anger.

"Where is the boy? I was told he would be here! Find him!" Xanatos angry voice shouted. Light flooded through the small holes in the grate. He held perfectly still. _How did Xanatos get in here? Why does he want me? _Then a chilling command sent shivers down his spine. "I will give any person who brings me the boy, alive, five million credits. I want him alive, but I will give one million credits for his corpse." Sounds of voices and searching filled the small tunnel.

_Thank the Force they didn't check the grate! _Was the last thought Obi-wan had. He forced himself to think nothing while Xanatos and strangers searched his rooms. Noises of things being turned over, broken, and ripped echoed faintly. What felt like hours later, they left his room. In the dim lighting he saw /Divya nod her head at him signaling it was time to move. _Thank the Force I have a friend here. They would have caught me for sure without her. _She lead him down tunnels he had never been in before. Apparently hadn't been traveled recently as there was a thick layer of dust. More than once he stifled a loud sneeze. The ventilation shaft she took him through lead to small room, which appeared to be a closet.

"This place is like a beehive! We've got to get you out of the palace. I heard a strange man offer my master a reward for finding you. That was when I decided to come get you. I think I know of a save place for you," she explained quickly. Obi-wan kept a wary eye on the door while /Divya searched through a row of...dresses? _What is she thinking? This isn't the time to play dress up! _A few seconds later she had picked out a large hot pink dress. It had long flowing sleeves trimmed with neon yellow lace. Neon yellow flowers adorned the collar and the bottom of the dress. "Here put this on," she commanded.

"Are you kidding me?! I can't wear that! I'll never be able to fight in it and..." he wanted to add 'it is so girly' but he didn't.

"The point is to blend in," she stated firmly. "Look, no one here wears boring brown or cream. You'll stick out in those clothes. And they're looking for a young boy. They won't think to look for a girl dressed in these colors! I'm going to take you to the Sisters of the Force. They're allies of the Jedi, and they should keep you safe. Now c'mon, put this on! We don't have a lot of time!" She helped him put on the flowing dress. She used a long piece of ribbon to tie his light saber to his arm. The sleeves covered it nicely. Then she pulled out a small chip covered in a light beige patch. "Hold still. We use these to change our hair styles for fancy parties. We can use it to disguise that short hair of yours." Swiftly she pressed it against his cheek. With a faint beep a thin colorful hologram surrounded his head. "Now follow me, and don't say a word." With that, he followed her out into the night hoping to the Force no one would figure out his disguise. _Please have no one realize I'm boy, please, please, please..._

Chapter 14:

Obi-wan hated the dress. It was restrictive on his arms and feet. He couldn't dodge or attack or do anything in it! With bright colors made his eyes water, and he felt like stuck out a sore thumb. Yet no one looked twice at him. People were streaming out of their houses and onto the streets as armed guards pounded on doors demanding to be let in. _How in the galaxy did Xanatos get so many men inside of the city? _Still he followed /Divya through the streets. She kept up a steady pace and wandering route. Soon he was completely lost and deep in the recesses of the city. Gradually he found himself following her towards furthest most western corner of the city.

The city wrapped around a jagged granite mountain, with the palace built into the rock face. However, the city curved around the edges of the palace. Tucked high against the mountain was a temple of sorts. It looked similar to the Jedi Temple in Corusant. A very, very long staircase wound up the mountain to the temple. A line of ornate trees lined both sides of the staircase. Every six steps or so, a granite arch covered the steps. At the base of the stairs was a huge, carved arch. _This reminds me of the Jedi Temple. Only with more stairs. Oh, damn it. I have to go up those stairs in this Light forsaken dress! /_Divya turned and faced him.

"I have to go now Obi-wan. Soon I'll be missed. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you're here. The Reverent Mother said to bring you here if something went wrong...she knows you're coming, and is expecting you at the top." Quickly she darted forward and gave him a big hug. "May the Force be with you," she whispered softly, before darting back into the city. Inwardly groaning, Obi-wan started up the staircase. It was hard work. The steps were smooth and steep. _I thought I was in good shape, this staircase proves me wrong. _What felt like a year later, Obi-wan found himself at the top of the stairs. Hema was waiting for him with a grave expression on her face. However, once she saw what he was wearing, her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"I'm glad you're safe Obi-wan. Hurry inside, I have a change of clothes waiting for you and..." before she could finish Obi-wan interrupted her.

"I want an explanation. You and Qui-Gon had this planned. You knew something was going to go wrong and plans already place. What in the Force is going on here?" He didn't mean for the words to come out so harsh and bitter but they did. Somehow tears had sprung to his face. Too little sleep, and too much stress was starting to get to him.

"I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark, it was Qui-Gon's wish," Hema said softly, as she reached forward to take his hands. "But things are different now, and once you get some rest and have a good meal, I will tell you everything. But come now, it isn't safe out in the open." Obi-wan allowed himself to be lead into the Temple. Fatigue was dulling his senses. Once inside the temple, he was helped out of the dress. Clothes similar to what the sisters wear was thrust at him. Instead of being lead into a bedroom he found himself at a dead end.

"Here is where you'll sleep tonight. Not the most comfortable place to sleep, but you'll be safe here." With those gentle words Hema leaned down and swept aside a well worn floor rug. Underneath the rug was a wooden door about three feet by four feet. Pushing down on a button he couldn't see the door silently slide to the side reveling a box with a hand woven matt in the bottom. "I know it won't great to sleep in, but I expect Xanatos to search the temple around dawn. He won't find you here. Now, in you go."

Carefully he lowered himself into the hole and lay flat. He didn't expect to sleep, but somehow once his head rested on the floor he went into a deep sleep. When Obi-wan woke up he was surprised to find himself trapped into a small space. Refusing to give into panic, he took in several deep breaths. After a few calming breaths, he remembered what happened the previous night. He didn't know what time of day it was, or how long he had been asleep. Muscles groaned in protest after being stuck in one position all night.

A gentle knock above up announced that something was happening. The door above him slide open letting in bright afternoon sunlight. Hema's tired looking face smiled down at him. One of her calloused hands leaned in to help him up. With his right hand he grasped her warm hand and found him pulled out of his hiding spot. _She's strong! _Once he was steady on his feet he looked at her not sure what to expect.

"Food first. Explanation second. Follow me, little padawan." Wincing slightly at the term 'little' he followed her through a maze of corridors. It was built very similar to the Jedi Temple, as it was filled with various types of gardens and meditation rooms. What was different, however, was the technology used. A lot of the rooms used windows for lighting and very simple machines he didn't recognize. Soon he found himself in a large room filled with tables. Waiting for him was a bowl of soup, some bread, and a type of cheese he had never seen before.

Gingerly he sat down, wincing at his sore muscles. Glancing at Hema, he noticed the closed look on her face. It was similar to a look his master had while waiting for Obi-wan to finish the task at hand before he would continue to say anything. To his delight, he found the food to be delicious. The soup was flavored with some sort of meat he had never tried before, and plenty of fresh vegetables. The bread was bread was moist and soft, with a crunchy exterior with spices baked in. The cheese had a mild flavor and had little salt crystals that burst with taste with each bite. All in all, the best meal he had in over a month. Once he was biting off the last little bit of cheese, Hema started to speak.

"Just about a month ago, Master Yoda and couple other Jedi masters had a vision involving you and Qui-Gon. In this vision, you are dying of a rare type of poison while Qui-Gon watches helplessly. Someone, who we now know to be Xanatos beheads Qui-Gon from behind. With some many masters having this vision, we know that it would come to pass shortly. While you were in house arrest, Qui-Gon and the Jedi Council searched for a safe place to stash you until the sense of danger passed. The chances of Xanatos getting here was slim, but we made plans for it happening anyway. Qui-Gon is always a cautious Jedi, more so when people he cares about are in danger. I think this was a mistake, but Qui-Gon didn't want you to know. He was afraid you do something rash, like confront Xanatos yourself. I don't know how, but Xanatos is charge of the city. There is no communication in or out of the city. I'm afraid Qui-Gon won't know you're in danger until he is too far away to do anything." After she was done speaking, she folded her arms across her lap and watched Obi-wan.

A lot thoughts rushed through his mind. There was a lot of hurt that Qui-Gon hadn't trusted him enough. A huge worry was that Qui-Gon would do something too stupid to save him. _Is it even possible for Qui-Gon to sneak into the city? _He hoped that it would be possible. The sooner he meets up with his master and escapes this planet, the better.

"Since you are Qui-Gon's padawan, you know how to sew, cook, and to do laundry. I refuse to have a dead weight on my watch, so for now I'm putting you on mending detail. Let me show you your room, then you'll be put to work in the sewing room." Without waiting his response, Hema stood up and started walking towards a hallway on the opposite side of the room. Getting up as quick as he could, he rushed after her. _Qui-Gon will know what to do. We'll be out of here in less than a week._

Obi-wan had been with the Sisters of the Force for over two months. He was not happy. If it weren't for the fact he knew if Qui-Gon had died, he would have been worried sick if his master was still alive. It didn't help that Xanatos had searched the Sister's Temple eight times. Each time he barely had any notice to hide. Luckily, the temple was riddled with hiding places. Hema never told him what they were used for exactly, but each time he asked she would smile a bit and say, 'I'll tell you when you're old enough.' By the end of the first week, he was very, very good at mending and had mastered six new recipes. It was at the start of the second week when Hema approached him a suggestion.

"After reflecting on your visions, Obi-wan, I have an idea. Shortly before Qui-Gon was picked to be a padawan, there was a training technique the Jedi used that used pain as a training method. It is a three person training exercise, however. One person uses the Force to inflict crippling pain while another person attacks the victim with a light saber. The idea is to teach Jedi how to fight while under extreme pain. It proved to be too dangerous for the Jedi to continue using it would you be..." Before she could continue, Obi-wan nodded his head eagerly. _Finally something proactive! So what if it hurts, then I won't have to worry about being useless if Xanatos manages to poison me._

It only took one lesson for Obi-wan to realize how serious the training was. It hurt. The first lesson had ended with him curled on the floor unable to move. He didn't give in though. It took him almost a month to master a single counter attack. Surprising enough, the same technique he used to survive the mind wipe was what he needed to do this training. By wrapping his mind with the Force, he was able to block off some of the pain. It was hard, hard, hard work though. He had to focus on keeping a shield around his mind, while concentrating on the fight, and keeping an eye out for unseen dangers. This was the most difficult thing he had ever been taught.

One the night marking his third month there, his nightly vision changed. Instead of him watching his master die a horrible death, he saw his battle with Xanatos instead. During the fight he was backed into a corner of the temple in a room he recognized. Once he was trapped in a corner Xanatos slapped him with his right hand which a held pin hidden in his glove. Obi-wan watched and felt the poison take over as Xanatos picked up his green bladed light saber which had fallen from his hands and retreated to the shadows. Again he watched his master be beheaded by Xanatos. However, he noticed something he had never seen before. A weakness in Xanatos. _I can stop Xanatos_, Obi-wan realized. _I can save Qui-Gon. The only price I have to pay is my death. I can end this game, once and for all. Qui-Gon will be free to take a better padawan. I will never disappoint him again. _Obi-wan's eyes blazed a dark grey. _Xanatos will come for me tomorrow. And I will be ready for him!_

Chapter 15:

The room was dimly light with light from the fading twilight. Obi-wan sat ready on a cold stone bench that sat in the middle of a large, empty room that was once used for practice fighting. He had promised Hema would hid in his usual place, but instead of going there he came to this room instead. It had one window, and only one exit. Once Xanatos came for him here, there would be no escape for either of them. Oddly enough, death didn't scare him. _I have chosen to follow the path of a Jedi. My path has lead to me end Xanato's evil. No one else has to be hurt. _ Reaching into his tunic pocket he pulled out the river stone his master had given him, almost two years ago. It felt warm to the touch and glowed with a faint light.

With one hand he rolled it between his fingers watching the faint light grow brighter and brighter. A burst of emotion came through the bond he shared with Qui-Gon. His master was in the city and headed towards him. _Goodbye Master. _Was the last thought and emotion he pushed through the bond before slamming his shields up hard. There was no need to worry his master any further. Soon it would be all over. _I'm sorry I never lived up to Xanatos, master. I promise I will end this for you. Soon you will be free of both of us._

Xanatos strode confidently into the room. Silently Obi-wan set down the river stone on the bench and faced Xanatos. His light saber flickered to life. Xanatos smirked at him as his red light saber also came to live.

"No begging for your life boy," Xanatos sneered. Slightly his dismay the boy remained silent giving a look he never seen before. Something about the look scared him. It was like the boy knew how the fight would play out, and was pleased with the results. "I'll end this now!" He screamed and launched a brutal attack.

The fight didn't last for long. Obi-wan found himself forced into the far right corner. Once his back was against the wall, Obi-wan took in a deep breath and deactivated his light saber. He allowed his arms to fall limp against his sides. The look of triumph from Xanatos didn't bother him in the least. _Soon..._He thought. Xanatos slapped him hard across the face. Pain like he had never felt before engulfed him. Tears filled his eyes, and he felt his mind starting to slip, but a smile crossed his face. _I win. _Xanatos had his guard completely down and wasn't expecting anything. With a grunt of effort Obi-wan reactivated his light saber and with both hands shoved the blade though Xanatos heart. Then whatever strength he had left him and pain swallowed him whole. The last thing he remembered watching was the look of dismay crossing Xanatos face.

All Obi-wan knew was pain. Sometimes he thought he could hear things. Once he thought he heard his master crying his name. Another time he thought he heard the sounds of doctors working. Someone said 'I'm sorry there is no cure. Only one other person has survived this but...' but he couldn't be certain for sure. All that he knew for certain was the pain. He burned on the outside and on the inside. Eventually it felt like he was falling. Suddenly it felt like he had hit a surface and the pain vanished.

Obi-wan stood up, looking around in surprise. He was in a maze! The walls, floor, and ceiling were black rock veined with red streaks. Somehow he knew the goal was to reach the center of the maze. He put one hand on the wall and yelped in pain. Touching the wall hurt! _Qui-Gon once told me to get out of a maze you need to follow the right hand side. _Mentally keeping track of the right hand side was easier then he thought it would. Not touching the wall was harder. Gradually the path got narrower and narrower and the pain he experienced each time he touched a wall grew worse. What felt like forever, he finally reached the center of the maze.

Before him lay a grassy field dotted with fragrant, colorful flowers. A warm, gentle breeze wafted through the place bringing with it a scent of flowers, grass, and summer. A delicate stone path went about ten feet into the grassy field before blending into the field. One step onto the path in the field proved to be pain free. Something told him he didn't want to leave the path, so he followed it to the end. Suddenly Jedi of unknown origin appeared in front of him. The man was in his early twenties with long flowing black hair. Obi-wan couldn't tell what color his eyes were, only that they were a dark shade. A sense of peace filled him at the sight of the other Jedi.

"Welcome to the Force little Jedi. My name is Tecilux. I am here to let you know you have passed the tests you were given. Now you have a choice..." his voice grew serious. "If you leave the path, you will become one with the Force. If you choose to return to the maze, you may never find your way out of it. There are countless agonizing paths in the maze, and only one of them leads to back to the living." With that being said, Tecilux tucked his arms into his sleeves at looked at him waiting for his response.

Obi-wan took a moment to enjoy feeling the raw, living Force. It called out to him. There would be no more pain, or worry, or anything just peace, comfort, and joy. All he had to do was take one step forward. He remembered the lancing, never ending pain that was the maze. Was the choice really that hard? Before he could make up his mind a voice broke the silence in the field.

"Don't leave me Obi-wan. Please come back to me padawan." The voice was filled with such hurt as if something precious had been stolen from him and never returned. It was Qui-Gon. Never before had he heard Qui-Gon use that tone with him. It filled with him sorrow that he had caused that pain to Qui-Gon. _Do I really mean that much to him? _He wondered. Looking forward again he noticed that Tecilux was gone. Before him lay an field of endless summer, behind him a maze of unending pain. Suddenly he remembered an early, early memory. Something Qui-Gon had told him even before he was a padawan. Something that you knew the right path often by how hard it was. With a smile he turned around and headed back into the maze. _I chose to live. I chose to follow the path of the Jedi while being Qui-Gon's Padawan. _

Obi-wan noticed that once he returned to the maze it felt and looked different. There was more red in the black rock. The path he had followed earlier had changed. Even stepping on the black floor hurt. After a few short steps he turned and looked back. There was no field with flowers, just a dead end. _Where do I go? Is the maze still the same? _A worry that he would never find his way back filled him. He didn't want to die in this maze! There were still things he wanted to do, things Qui-Gon had to teach him. Soon he reached an intersection. There were three paths to take - one forward, to the right, and to left. He couldn't see more than a few steps forward in either direction. But he thought he heard Qui-Gon's voice echoing down the left path. So down the left path he went.

Each step was pure agony. The pain felt like it would never end. What kept him going was the sound of Qui-Gon's voice. No matter how many intersections he crossed, Qui-Gon's voice lead the way. Sometimes Qui-Gon would stop talking. Each time that happened, Obi-wan stayed in place waiting for his master to continue leading the way. Obi-wan had lost all sense of time. Eventually Obi-wan reached the exit of the maze. What lay before him didn't please him at all. The end of the maze lead to a cliff. Black rock stretched downwards endlessly. There was nothing at all except blackness. Behind him the maze gaped open like a fresh wound. Slowly Obi-wan turned around, his back to the bottomless pit. _I choose to be a Jedi! _With that he stepped backwards off the cliff and fell into oblivion.


End file.
